The FTC's new guidance on enforcement of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act — released Wednesday — was getting high marks from ap developers.
"Today’s action by the FTC gives platforms and app makers more guidance in areas where confusion has persisted," said Morgan Reed, executive director of ACT: The App Association. "With the Commission now providing a better explanation of the regulatory landscape, we expect innovation and investment in children’s education apps to grow markedly."
Among the changes ACT was applauding was allowing for new ways to seek parental guidance, including credit card verification, and allowing platforms to create consent mechanisms without being categorized as an operator.
Sara Kloek, director of Moms With Apps, agreed.
"The COPPA FAQ updates are a major win for innovation and privacy," she said. "Making it easier for parents to give consent and reducing the burden on developers to obtain consent are exactly what our small business members need to comply with COPPA. Our developers from around the country have met with the FTC to suggest changes that would improve innovation in the mobile app space. Today's changes reflect a welcome move in the right direction, and we look forward to better parent engagement as a result."
To check out the new guidance, click here.
