coppa

The developer of a mobile app for children temporarily pulled the free game from the Apple App Store and Google Android Play store today after learning it was the subject of a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission.

Mobbles, a geolocation game in which children collect and care for virtual pets, collected personal information such as e-mail addresses without parental consent, according to a complaint filed yesterday by the Center for Digital Democracy. The federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires Web site operators to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children younger than … Read more

Artist Arena creates fan Web sites for artists including Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Rihanna. Calling itself "the expert in captivating fans," it also managed to gain the attention of the Federal Trade Commission after allegations were made that the firm illegally collected information about minors.

The company is a division of the Warner Music Group after being purchased by the corporation in 2010.

In a complaint filed in a New York district court on Tuesday, the FTC accused Artist Arena of failing to obtain parental consent before collecting the names and e-mail addresses of children, according to Reuters. … Read more

Facebok worries that teens' right to freedom of expression will be inhibited if child privacy laws limit the ability of Web sites to incorporate the social network's "Like" button.

In a 20-page letter (PDF) sent to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission last week, Facebook objected to proposed revisions to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. The social network argues that revised limitations on plug-ins could create "significant impediments" on "innovation and the ecosystem that shapes students' online experiences":

A number of child protection and privacy groups have asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to launch an inquiry into viral campaigns that are centered on children through online networks.

The main cause for complaint involves what is known as "tell a friend" or "refer a friend" campaigns. The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and 16 other advocacy groups named McDonald's, Viacom, Turner Broadcasting -- known for its Cartoon Network channel -- General Mills and Subway in five separate complaints with the FTC.

At the center is the contention that these major corporations have violated … Read more

The Federal Trade Commission today said it has reached a settlement with online gaming company RockYou relating to charges that it did not protect personal information.

Hackers accessed information of RockYou's 32 million users in 2009, according to an FTC statement. The FTC also alleges that RockYou violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA Rule) by collecting information, such as birthdays, of about 179,000 children.

RockYou is required to pay a $250,000 civil penalty and implement a data security program, according to the proposed settlement.

The company's Web site is used for social … Read more

In a report released today, the FTC said that when it comes to mobile applications aimed at kids there is "little, if any, information in the app marketplaces about the data collection and sharing practices of these apps."

The Federal Trade Commission said that its staff searched the Apple and Android app stores for apps using the word "kids," and "encountered a diverse pool of apps for kids created by hundreds of different developers," but that privacy disclosure was lacking.

The report, titled Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures are Disappointing (PDF), focused … Read more

In 1998, Congress passed the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) that requires Web sites to "obtain verifiable parental consent" before collecting personal information from children under 13.

This very well-intentioned law--enacted long before the advent of MySpace, Facebook, and other social networks--was designed to protect children from revealing information that could be used by companies to sell them products or by others to exploit them. Children under 13, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces COPPA, are "particularly vulnerable to overreaching by marketers."

COPPA doesn't prevent companies like Facebook from admitting kids … Read more

In an effort to keep up with changing technology, the FTC is proposing changes to online privacy rules that give parents control over the type of information that Web sites can collect from kids under 13.

The proposed amendments are an update to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which became effective in 2000. The possible revisions focus on five areas, including parental notice, the definition of personal information, and the confidentiality and security of children's personal information.

One notable change would be updating the definition of personal information to include geolocation information, as well as other kinds … Read more

Video game aficionados might have to enter a credit card or find another way to verify their age before playing a networked game, thanks to a new push from advocacy groups who say they want to protect minors from in-game advertising messages.

In-game marketing has become so advanced that it "allows advertisers to track game users" and detect if people who are exposed to certain ads eventually use or buy the advertised product, a coalition including the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the Center for Digital Democracy, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and U.S. PIRG told federal … Read more