Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

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The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has been on the books for years and is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). COPPA basically prohibits companies from collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent. The FTC has an impressive record of enforcement actions under COPPA and compliance with…

As someone who has been married a long time (longer than the Internet has existed), I never experienced the online dating scene.  Everyone has their own opinion on the topic, and without getting into the merits of online dating, there is risk for children, which is the subject of this privacy tip.

The Federal Trade…

Last week, two Senators, Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding apps designed for children and whether they are in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), See 15 U.S.C. 6501 and regulations at 16 C.F.R. Part 312 et. seq.  The Senators stated that they are concerned that thousands of apps may “improperly track children and collect their personal information.” The Senators requested a response from the FTC by October 31. The letter also asked that the FTC “investigate whether these apps, and the advertising companies they work with, are in fact tracking children with persistent identifiers and collecting their personal information in violation of COPPA…”…
Continue Reading Protecting the Privacy of Children Online – More Updates on COPPA

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a six-step compliance plan to assist businesses with compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). It provides clarity on who is covered by and must comply with COPPA and how companies can get parental consent. It also outlines a six-step compliance plan.

New companies…

On April 6, 2017, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (AG) announced that he has settled an investigation against TrustE for alleged violations of failing to adequately prevent illegal tracking technology on children’s websites, including Hasbro.com and Roblox.com. TrustE has agreed to pay the State $100,000 in the settlement and adopt measures to strengthen its…

On February 27, 2017, news reports disclosed a major security breach involving Spiral Toys, the seller of the CloudPets brand of internet-connected stuffed animals. The Bluetooth-connected CloudPets toys allow users to exchange voice messages between the toys and applications on smartphones or tablets. An investigation by cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt revealed that customer data for over 800,000 registered accounts, including over two million voice recordings, was stored in an unprotected database on the public internet. While the company has denied that any voice recordings were stolen, reports indicate that hackers accessed the open database and attempted to ransom the data.…
Continue Reading Data Breach Involving CloudPets “Smart” Toys Raises Internet-of-Things Security Concerns

Recently in United States v. InMobi Pte Ltd., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) set a new standard for geolocational tracking. The FTC told app developers and app marketers one simple rule: honor consumers location privacy preferences and do not track them without permission.

InMobi is a Singapore Company that provides ads within mobile apps.…

It seems that 2016 will mean MORE child identity theft. Why? Because with the increased amount of data collection from children and young adults at schools, health care facilities, retailers, and by advertising companies, hackers can gain access to centralized data systems with a plethora of high-value information from children.  However, perhaps 2016 is also…

LAI Systems, LLC (LAI) and Retro Dreamer agreed to pay civil penalties of a combined $360,000 to settle charges issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that they violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by allowing advertising companies to use persistent identifiers, collected through their mobile apps, to elicit specific advertisements to children.…