App Developer 24X7 Charged with Violating Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chisea has filed a suit in federal court against 24X7digital LLC, accusing the smart-phone applications provider of breaking laws that protect the online privacy of children. From law firm Pillsbury:
“The suit alleges that 24 x 7’s kids educational apps collect personal information from children younger than 13 and transmit that information to a third-party without parental notice or consent. The information includes kid created profiles containing their first and last names and a picture. The app allegedly transmits that information and the unique device identification number associated with the mobile device the child is using.”
If the allegations are true, the developer’s practices violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires parental consent for the collection and disclosure of any personally identifiable information from children. From Davis Wright Tremaine:
“According to the complaint, 24x7 promotes [its] apps as having a ‘simple and intuitive’ interface that ‘allows children to play without help from an adult.’ The complaint also alleges the apps encourage and/or enable players to provide their first and last names, and a picture of themselves, and that the apps collect the unique device identification number (UDID) for the mobile device a player uses, and that the profile and UDID are transmitted to a third-party data analytics company.”
The lawsuit is in its early stages, but the message is clear: state and federal officials are serious about protecting the privacy of children online.
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Read the updates:
• Case to Watch: Chisea v. 24x7digital on Children’s Online Privacy (Davis Wright Tremaine LLP)
• Top Selling Mobile Educational App Developer Sued for COPPA Violations (Pillsbury)
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