Keeping children safe in this age of social media, apps, and
smartphones is of paramount importance. Parents need to be vigilant in regard
to what their children are accessing on the Internet, social media sites, and
any apps that they may have access to download.
A new update to the
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which was originally passed in 1998,
makes COPPA more relevant in the social media and mobile phone age. In
addition, it places some additional burdens on companies that target children
under13 years of age.
Websites and phone
apps that collect photos or geo-location data from children must now obtain express
permission from parents. This requirement places that data in the same category
as kids' email or home addresses. The new rules also make firms more responsible
for data collection by third parties, a loophole that had been exploited by
marketers in the past.
Parents might not
notice much change at first. Some apps that kids use might begin requesting
parental permissions via emails or other methods. Because of that, parents
should be vigilant that their children don't try to circumvent those rules by
using a fake email address to grant themselves permission.
A spokesperson for the
Center for Digital Democracy claims that with the update, a child's privacy
online, whether they use a mobile phone, tablet, gaming device or computer, is
protected. The new rules put the parent in charge of what data can be collected
from their child.
Children attempting to
use Facebook and Twitter remains a concern, however. Facebook and Twitter don't allow children under
13 to use their sites, so those firms aren't subject to COPPA restrictions. The reality is, however, that millions of kids
lie their way onto the social networks anyway. Statistics show that 50% of
parents claim that their 12-year-old children use Facebook. This is an alarming
statistic. COPPA won't have any real impact on this circumvention, but it might
impact third-party developers who target kids on Facebook according to privacy
law experts.
Hopefully, the updates
will require Facebook to become more vigilant about policing the apps they
allow on their website. The FTC has fired a warning to Facebook and other
digital social networking sites that they must do a better job of ensuring that
they protect the personal privacy of children. An ideal situation would be when
and if the FTC starts cracking down on social networks, apps, and other digital
platforms that are looking the other way regarding the age of its users. Until
then, it is a parent responsibility to monitor their children’s use of the
Internet and Smartphones to better ensure their children’s safety.
Picture credit: Nevit Dilman
