FTC to Release Mobile App Follow-Up Report

The Federal Trade Commission plans to release a follow-up to
a February report about the privacy issues raised by mobile apps targeted to
children on Monday.

According to a notice on the website, the FTC will host a
discussion
among various FTC officials about the report.

The February staff report found that "neither app
stores nor developers" provide parents with sufficient information to determine
what data is being collected from their kids and how it is being shared.

The FTC is preparing to release it final recommendations for
updating its enforcement
of child online protection law
to reflect the rise in digital delivery,
including via mobile devices.

Earlier this week, the Center for Digital Democracy and
Common Sense Media releaseda survey that found that 82% of respondents strongly disagree with the
statement that it is OK for advertisers to collect information from children's
mobile phones.

The FTC is currently trying to work with industry
stakeholders and public interest groups on mobile app privacy guidelines as
part of an Administration effort to flesh out its privacy"bill of rights" proposal.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.