Robert Hough of SheppardMullin writes: Two mobile apps directed at children were recently subject to action by the Children’s Advertising Review Unit. The first, “My Talking Tom,” is a virtual pet game for children operated by Outfit7 Limited. One issue was the display of Outfit7’s privacy policy. Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, privacy…
Category: Youth & Schools
Wisconsin may double down on eroding student and parent privacy
It’s bad enough that schools release so much student information as “directory information.” Now in Wisconsin, they may also release parents’ information! AP reports: Public schools could release the names of students’ parents and guardians under a bill approved by the state Assembly. The measure passed Tuesday on a voice vote. It now heads to…
Florida student data hoarding is a threat to privacy
Amelia Vance of the Future of Privacy Forum has an excellent commentary in the Orlando Sentinel that begins: After the horrific school shooting in Parkland last year, state legislators passed a law that included a little-noticed provision creating a new government database. Education Week recently reported that the database will include a vast range of…
Lawsuits Claim Amazon’s Alexa Voice Assistant Illegally Records Children Without Consent
Tom McKay reports: A pair of federal lawsuits against Amazon seeking class action status allege that the e-commerce giant’s Alexa voice assistant technology “routinely records and voiceprints millions of children without their consent or the consent of their parents,” breaking laws in nine states, the Seattle Times reported on Wednesday. Per the Recorder, the two…