Tag Archives: Center for Digital Democracy

‘Much-Needed’: FTC Bolsters Privacy Rules to Protect Kids Online

“Anyone who believes that children deserve to explore and play online without being tracked and manipulated should support this update.”

By Julia Conley. Published 12-20-2023 by Common Dreams

Image by Freepik.

To ensure that tech giants will not have “carte blanche with kids’ data,” as one advocacy group said, the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday unveiled major proposed changes to the United States’ online privacy law for children for the first time in a decade, saying that companies’ evolving practices and capabilities require stronger protection for young people.

“Kids must be able to play and learn online without being endlessly tracked by companies looking to hoard and monetize their personal data,” said FTC Chair Lina Khan as she announced proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998.

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FTC Praised for Pushing Meta to End Exploitation of Kids’ Data for Profit

“Kids should never have been used as an engine of profit for Meta, and it’s great that the FTC is continuing to act aggressively,” said one advocate who urged broader congressional action.

By Jessica Corbett. Published 5-3-2023 by Common Dreams

Photo: GHCassel, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Children’s advocacy and government watchdog groups on Wednesday welcomed the Federal Trade Commission’s push to implement new protections for youth users of Meta products including Facebook in response to the company allegedly violating a 2020 privacy order.

Calling the agency’s action “long overdue,” Fairplay executive director Josh Golin said that “for years, Meta has flouted the law and exploited millions of children and teens in their efforts to maximize profits, with little care as to the harms faced by young users on their platforms.”

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