FTC says law protects children's privacy |
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Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:58
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WASHINGTON (AP) - A 1998 law passed to shield children's privacy online has been effective in protecting young children without excessively burdening Web site operators, the Federal Trade Commission said in a report to Congress released Tuesday.But 'age falsification' by children remains a risk, the commission's report said, as age verification technology is not widely available. The report also cites social networking Web sites and mobile Internet access as 'new and emerging issues.'Congress passed the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, in 1998, to address online privacy and safety risks for children under age 13. COPPA requires that Web site operators take several steps to avoid collecting personal information on young children including: providing notice of their privacy policies; obtaining parental consent before collecting personal information; and allowing parents to review and delete information their children have provided.The report said there is 'concern that younger children are visiting more general audience Web sites, such as social networking sites, that are not intended for their use but nonetheless attract their presence.'Such Web sites face liability for civil penalties under COPPA if they knowingly obtain personal information from children, the report said.Social networking sites, as News Corp.'s MySpace, enable users to create elaborate profiles and personalize them with photos, music and video.The FTC also said it has brought 12 COPPA law enforcement actions since 2000, imposing more than $1.8 million in fines against companies such as candy maker Hershey Co. and social networking site Xanga.com Inc.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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