Parents of digital kids will want to keep abreast of proposed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revisions to online privacy regulations that, if implemented, would increase and expand online privacy protections for children. The changes will alter the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
A September 16, 2011 press release from the FTC announces the proposed regulation changes and seeks comments from the public. The increasing use of mobile devices by children is one reason the agency believes that changes are necessary, and the expanded regulations would add locational data as additional personal information that needs to be protected.
Three Proposed Changes
1. Notify parents in advance if their children’s personal information is collected and may be used or sold.
2. Encourage the development of better parental consent methods, using any developing technology that might improve how parents are contacted and ask for consent. Stop using the e-mail-confirmation method.
3. Add a child’s locational data as another component of protected personal information.
Other Resources to Read
- Net Family News blog post on proposed regulations and resource links at the end of the post
- In a First FTC Settles with App Developer Over Children’s Privacy – New York Times Media DeCoder blog
- Update Urged on Children’s Online Privacy – New York Times
- Tighter Preteen Privacy Rules Urged – Los Angeles Times
- FTC Seeks Comment on Proposed Revisions to Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule – Privacy Lives Blog
- How Would You Change the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule? – Mashable
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