Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA)

On March 7, 2024, a bipartisan coalition of 43 state attorneys general sent to the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) a letter urging the FTC to update the regulations (“COPPA Rules”) implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).

Through regulations known as the “COPPA Rule,” state attorneys general are authorized to bring actions as parens

On March 6, 2018, the FTC hosted a live Twitter chat to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).  The stated purpose of the chat was to discuss the FTC’s work to enforce COPPA and to ensure the FTC’s rule implementing the law stays in step with evolving technologies and data collection practices.

The chat began with the FTC pointing to its published FAQs, as well as two recent COPPA settlements: a $650,000 settlement with VTech Electronics Limited, which was the FTC’s first children’s privacy case involving Internet-connected toys, and a $235,000 settlement with Prime Sites, Inc., which focused on how a company can gain “actual knowledge” that it is collecting information from a child.
Continue Reading  FTC Explains Evolution of COPPA in Live Twitter Chat

The FTC has released its annual report summarizing its activity during 2017 relating to privacy and data security issues.  In its self-declared role as “the nation’s primary privacy and data security enforcer,” the FTC outlines 10 privacy cases and 4 data security cases that it brought in 2017, including Uber Technologies (transportation service), Vizio (television manufacturer), Blue Global (lead generator), Upromise (college rewards program), ACDI Group (an alleged debt buyer), TaxSlayer (tax preparation service), and D-Link (wireless routers and Internet cameras). In addition, the FTC also brought its first actions to enforce the EU-US Privacy Shield in 2017. The FTC report also described its activities relating to international enforcement, children’s privacy, and Do-Not-Call.
Continue Reading  FTC Releases Annual Privacy and Data Security Update