Epic Games $520 Million Settlement with FTC for Unfair Practices and COPPA Violations
Epic Games $520 Million Settlement with FTC for Unfair Practices and COPPA Violations In a recent agreement totaling $520 million, Epic Games, Inc. (Epic), maker of the popular Fortnite video game,...
Ireland Fines Instagram €405 Million for Children’s Data Violations
Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner will reportedly fine Instagram for its handling of children’s data. According to an investigation that began in 2020, Instagram published emails and phone numbers for children ages...
Privacy Tip #344 – Advocacy Groups Urge Senators to Advance Bills Protecting Children’s Data
Provider groups and privacy advocates have joined together to put pressure on Congress to pass two bipartisan bills designed to bolster children and teens’ privacy. The Kids Online Safety Act (S....
Privacy Tip #341 – Avoid Back-to-School Online Shopping Scams
It’s back-to-school time and every parent I know of school-aged children is scouring lists provided by schools to purchase items for their kids’ first day. It is easy and convenient to...
FTC Adopts Policy Statement to Increase Scrutiny for COPPA Violations
On May 19, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted the “Policy Statement on Education Technology and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act” (COPPA), which calls for increased scrutiny for violations...
Privacy Tip #298 – Help AGs Try to Protect Children’s Data
As a former Assistant Attorney General, I have a soft place in my heart for Attorneys General as consumer protection advocates. Most state AGs have the primary jurisdiction to enforce compliance...
Privacy Tip #297 – Vulnerability in Smart Home Devices Including Baby Monitors
Mandiant, a division of FireEye, has reported that it has discovered a vulnerability in a software protocol that enables hackers to gain access to audio and visual data on smart devices...
FTC Takes Aristotle International Off the COPPA Safe Harbor List
In an unusual but significant move, on August 4, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) removed Aristotle International from the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor List. There were...
Smart Toys and How they May be Invading our Privacy
While smart toys can be useful educational tools for children, they also present some potential privacy risks and could invade what is traditionally considered a private space. Think about it—the thought...