Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

Earlier today, the Federal Trade Commission announced a two-week extension for submitting comments on the FTC’s latest proposed revisions to the rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).  In place of the original September 10, 2012, deadline, comments will now be accepted until September 24, 2012.

The FTC granted the extension after sixteen

Earlier this morning, the FTC proposed additional revisions to the rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).  COPPA governs the online collection, use, and disclosure of children’s personal information by (1) operators of websites and online services that are directed to children under the age of 13 and (2) operators of general audience

The New Jersey Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs have announced a settlement with 24x7digital, the developer of the “TeachMe” mobile apps for preschool through second-grade children, to resolve claims that the company violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).   

The state alleged that children were encouraged to submit their full names, along with a

The FTC has decided not to pursue an enforcement action against Clearwater Aquarium for alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection (“COPPA”) Rule. 

In February 2012, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (“CARU”) referred the Clearwater Aquarium’s website to the FTC for review under COPPA after the Aquarium reportedly did not respond to CARU’s inquiry.  CARU

The FTC staff released a report today calling for participants in the mobile app ecosystem — including app developers, app stores, and third parties who collect data through mobile apps — to provide better privacy notices to parents about mobile apps directed to children, and warning that over the next six months, staff will be conducting additional reviews

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade held the latest in its series of hearings on Internet privacy Wednesday morning. The hearing — titled “Protecting Children’s Privacy in an Electronic World” — focused on the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed updates to the regulations implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which generally bars website operators from collecting or disclosing personal information from children under 13 without first obtaining parental consent. Lawmakers and witnesses also discussed whether Congress should enact additional legislation, particularly to protect teenagers. Click the jump to see a summary of some of the key issues addressed at the hearing and in witness’ prepared statements.Continue Reading House Subcommittee Discusses COPPA Updates, Teen Privacy

Politico and other news sources are reporting that the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade plans to hold a hearing on the FTC’s proposed revisions to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act rule.  We previously analyzed the FTC’s proposal here

The hearing has not yet been formally announced but

Resolving the FTC’s first complaint against a mobile app developer under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”), W3 Innovations, LLC, a developer of children’s games for the iPhone and iPod touch, has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle allegations that it collected and disclosed the personal information of thousands of children under the age of 13 without first providing

Last week, the Supreme Court issued its much anticipated decision in the Brown v. Entertainment Merchant’s Association case.  Justice Scalia, writing for Justices Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan, held that a California law restricting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, and mandating “18” labels for such games, violates the First Amendment.

The decision