USA Today’s Anne Flaherty features CDT’s Michelle De Mooy on her thoughts regarding the landmark law aimed at protecting the privacy of America’s youngest mobile consumers.
In July 2013, the Federal Trade Commission extended COPPA to require app developers to get parental consent before collecting personal data on anyone younger than 13. “It’s upped the ante for companies deciding whether they are going to market to kids,” said Michelle De Mooy of the Center for Democracy and Technology. “And that’s a good thing.”
However, it turns out the law hasn’t been effective in stopping app developers from collecting vast amounts of data, including a person’s location and recordings of their voice.