WASHINGTON — Cable operators are concerned that the Federal Trade Commission’s planned tightening of the rules enforcing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act could put a crimp in their TV Everywhere plans.
In a filing last week as the FTC closed the comment period on its proposed changes to the rules, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association warned of the unintended consequences of over-restricting the use of Internet-protocol addresses.
The FTC is proposing redefining “personal information” to include IP addresses. The NCTA argues that will be overly restrictive unless the commission allows for more flexibility in their use for “internal operations.”
Such a move, according to the NCTA, would be critical to accommodating new technologies like TV Everywhere, which allows for the delivery of quality children’s content on a wide variety of platforms.
“It is clearly in the public interest — and consistent with Congressional goals of encouraging the distribution of such content over multiple devices and platforms — to ensure that such innovation is allowed to blossom on all websites and services,” the NCTA said.
