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Published: May 2011

FTC should swiftly conclude its review of children’s online privacy law

Coalition: Children's Privacy

Consumer groups asked Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz to wrap up its review of the Children's Online Privacy Protection (COPPA) legislation, as more and more websites aimed at children are installing and using tracking technologies.

Below is the full text of the letter:

We are writing to urge the Commission to swiftly conclude its COPPA review and move towards the next step in strengthening protections for children’s privacy online.
Over a year ago, the Commission accelerated the COPPA Rule review in response to the “rapid-fire pace of technological change, including an explosion in children’s use of mobile devices and interactive gaming.” We documented these trends in our comments to the COPPA Rule review in July 2010, and they have continued since then. For example, last September the Wall Street Journal reported that popular children’s websites installed more tracking technologies than popular adult sites.

We recommended several changes to the COPPA Rule, including expanding COPPA’s definition of personal information to include behavioral targeting and geolocation data. Further, we recommended clarification of the term “online service” to encompass a broad range of digital technologies and devices. We also recommended regular reporting on children’s privacy and oversight of the safe harbor program.

We look forward to seeing these increases in the protection of children’s privacy reflected in the proposed new COPPA rule.

Lead Organization

Center for Digital Democracy

Other Organizations

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | American Academy of Pediatrics | Benton Foundation | Children Now | Center for Science in the Public Interest | Center for Digital Democracy | Consumer Federation of America | Consumer Watchdog,

More Information

COPPA - Children's Online Privacy Protection

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