On October 22, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission reached a proposed settlement with the developer of three so-called “stalking” apps that enabled purchasers of the app to secretly monitor the mobile devices on which they were installed. Developer Retina-X Studios, LLC and its owner James N. Johns marketed the three apps—MobileSpy, PhoneSheriff, and TeenShield—as a … Continue Reading
By Ani Gevorkian The FTC has issued a request for public comment regarding Riyo’s application to recognize a new proposed verifiable parental consent method under the FTC’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule. The Rule, which implements the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), requires certain website operators, mobile applications, and other online services to … Continue Reading
As part of our continuing coverage of the Congressional Privacy Bill, we provide below a deeper examination and explanation of Title II of the bill, the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2015. The Do Not Track Kids Act of 2015 amends the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) by making its protections more expansive … Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently reiterated its support for the use of “common consent” mechanisms that permit multiple operators to use a single system for providing notices and obtaining verifiable consent under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). COPPA generally requires operators of websites or online services that are directed to children under … Continue Reading
The staff of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has released updated guidance on how the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) and its implementing regulations apply to schools and educational online services through revisions to the Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQS”) that are published on the FTC website. For a comparison between the old and new … Continue Reading
Last weekend at South by Southwest (“SXSW”) Interactive, a panel promoted the notion that it is in fact possible to harmonize innovation with kids’ privacy in the app space, but that doing so involves “a lot of work.” In particular, the panel suggested that it takes a conscious desire on the part of app developers … Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently approved a new method of verifiable parental consent — knowledge-based authentication (“KBA”) — as consistent with the requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). COPPA generally requires operators of websites or online services that are directed to children under 13 or that have actual knowledge that they … Continue Reading
Yesterday, the FTC staff released its latest round of updated Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) for its Rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA Rule”). These new FAQs address the circumstances in which third parties may obtain “actual knowledge” that they are collecting personal information from a child-directed site or service and whether parental … Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently released an additional question and answer as part of its revised COPPA FAQs, which provide guidance on the FTC staff’s interpretations of the rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). As we previously reported, the FTC published substantial revisions to the COPPA FAQs in April in order … Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has voted unanimously to retain the July 1, 2013 effective date for its revisions to the rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). As we previously wrote, the FTC adopted significant revisions to the COPPA rule in December 2012 and established a July 1, 2013 effective date. In … Continue Reading
Last week, the California Senate unanimously passed a bill that would give California minors the right to “remove content or information” that they submit to websites, online services, online applications, or mobile applications. The term “content or information” is not defined, and could be interpreted broadly to include any text, photos, videos, audio files, or … Continue Reading
Yesterday, two Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) attorneys addressed several key issues raised by the Commissions’ revised final rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). Speaking at a webinar sponsored by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Mamie Kresses and Phyllis Marcus, both senior attorneys at the FTC who focus on COPPA issues, discussed … Continue Reading
The U.S. took the lead in legislating privacy rights for children and parents in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act more than a decade ago. Now the European Union has proposed including privacy protections for children in the Data Protection Regulation under discussion, and Latin American countries have included regulation of children’s privacy in new … Continue Reading
