Requests for an FTC investigation into Disney and...

Requests for an FTC investigation into Disney and Sanrio for their alleged noncompliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) were filed by the Center for Digital Democracy Wednesday, said a CDD news release (http://bit.ly/1kiHcpR). Neither company “provides adequate notice or obtains verifiable parental consent prior to collecting, using, or disclosing personal information about its child users,” as required by the FTC’s revision of COPPA one year ago (CD Dec 20 p10), said the release. “These two complaints reveal a pattern of disturbing practices that threaten children’s privacy and undermine the ability of parents to control how information is collected and used,” said Executive Director Jeff Chester. The complaints (http://bit.ly/1gGGHG3, http://bit.ly/19yAfN6) are directed at Marvelkids.com, a Disney subsidiary, and the Hello Kitty Carnival mobile app, a joint venture between Typhoon Games and Sanrio, said the release. “CDD’s investigations should spur the FTC to investigate both these companies, and also closely review how many in the online marketing industry appear derelict in complying with the updated COPPA Rule,” said CDD Legal Director Hudson Kingston. The two companies had no comment.