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FTC cracks down on ed tech providers’ COPPA compliance
On May 19, the FTC warned providers of education technology (ed tech) tools for children that they must fully comply with all provisions of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The Commission voted unanimously to approve a policy statement clarifying how COPPA applies to ed tech tools that gather data about children, while underscoring prohibitions on harvesting and monetizing children’s data. The policy statement explained that ed tech providers cannot force children to disclose more information than is reasonably necessary for participating in their educational services and are prohibited from using collected data for marketing or advertising purposes. Additionally, providers are prohibited from retaining children’s data for longer than necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, and must have procedures in place to keep the data secure. The FTC noted that “even absent a breach, COPPA-covered ed tech providers violate COPPA if they lack reasonable security.” Providers that fail to comply with COPPA may face civil penalties as well as new requirements and limitations on their business practices to stop the unlawful conduct. The policy statement comes as the FTC reexamines COPPA. As previously covered by InfoBytes, the Commission launched a rule review in 2019.
Upcoming Events
- Kathryn L. Ryan and Jedd R. Bellman to discuss “Risk and compliance management: Are you covered?” at a Mortgage Bankers Association webinar
- Melissa Klimkiewicz and Daniel A. Bellovin to discuss “Things to know about flood insurance” at a NAFCU webinar
- Hank Asbill to discuss “Ethical issues at sentencing” at the 31st Annual National Seminar on Federal Sentencing
- Max Bonici will moderate a panel on “Enforcement risk and other regulatory and compliance issues related to crypto and digital assets” at the American Bar Association’s 2022 Annual Meeting
- John R. Coleman to provide a “CFPB Update” at MBA’s 2022 Regulatory Compliance Conference
- Amanda R. Lawrence to discuss “The shifting data privacy and data protection landscape” at MBA’s 2022 Regulatory Compliance Conference
- Jeffrey P. Naimon to provide “An update on key fair lending cases and the CRA and UDAAP rules” at MBA’s 2022 Regulatory Compliance Conference
- Benjamin W. Hutten to discuss “Fundamentals of financial crime compliance” at the Practicing Law Institute
- Benjamin W. Hutten to discuss “Ongoing CDD: Operational considerations” at NAFCU’s Regulatory Compliance & BSA Seminar
- James C. Chou to discuss ransomware at NAFCU’s Regulatory Compliance & BSA seminar