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 … Continue Reading
We previously reported about the microphone and video capabilities of Echo technology [view related post]. The FBI is also concerned about this technology being used in toys that are connected to the Internet. The FBI is so concerned that yesterday, it issued a Public Service Announcement that warns consumers that Internet-connected toys “could present privacy … Continue Reading
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 that … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
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. They … Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
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. … Continue Reading
On Monday, December 14, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a “user-friendly” online aircraft registration system for owners of drones (or more officially called “small unmanned aircrafts”) that weigh more than 0.55 pounds but less than 55 pounds. This registration is a statutory requirement that applies to all types of aircrafts. Anyone who has owned … Continue Reading
In a third update to the data breach of 6.5 million kids’ information and 5 million parents’ information, VTech Holdings Ltd. (VTech) is facing backlash from plaintiffs’ attorneys and regulators. First, VTech Electronics North America LLC was hit with the now usual class action suits following a data breach–two so far–filed in the Northern District … Continue Reading
As a general rule, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires operators of websites (including mobile apps) directed to children under the age of 13 to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from those users. COPPA sets forth a non-exhaustive list of acceptable methods for obtaining parental consent. For example, operators can … Continue Reading
On March 24, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to better address the intersection of COPPA regulations and schools. Specifically, the FTC updated FAQs M.1, M.4, and M.5. FAQ M.6 was deleted from the list because the FTC felt that the issue of … Continue Reading
