FTC Takes Aim At Tech’s Surveillance Of Children

WebProNews
FTC Takes Aim At Tech’s Surveillance Of Children

The Federal Trade Commission is taking aim at tech companies’ surveillance of children, proposing measures to strengthen protections.

News has come to light in recent years just how much companies like Meta have profited off of young people and children, despite laws designed to protect them. The FTC wants to strength those laws, making companies responsible for protecting children rather than monetizing them.

The Federal Trade Commission has proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) that would place new restrictions on the use and disclosure of children’s personal information and further limit the ability of companies to condition access to services on monetizing children’s data. The proposal aims to shift the burden from parents to providers to ensure that digital services are safe and secure for children.

COPPA has been in effect since 2000, but the proposed changes are aimed at updating the law to address the current issues, threats, and surveillance children are increasingly subject to.

“Kids must be able to play and learn online without being endlessly tracked by companies looking to hoard and monetize their personal data,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The proposed changes to COPPA are much-needed, especially in an era where online tools are essential for navigating daily life—and where firms are deploying increasingly sophisticated digital tools to surveil children. By requiring firms to better safeguard kids’ data, our proposal places affirmative obligations on service providers and prohibits them from outsourcing their responsibilities to parents.”

FTC Takes Aim At Tech’s Surveillance Of Children
Staff

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