A number of websites have been found to make use of the personal information of kids online. This information can then be used by advertisers or other third-party entities for their own profit. A recent study shows that a huge majority of adults support legislation against that.
The adult populace is overwhelmingly against such websites which gather children’s data. Given the fact that children are often not mature enough to know what are the implications of having their data used by others, it can land them trouble.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has been around for quite some time. However, it hasn’t been updated ever since 1998. In other words, it doesn’t incorporate the extra-ordinary changes that the modern social media and mobile platform has brought to the arena of technology. And thus, it is obsolete.
Recently, a study was commissioned by the Center for Digital Democracy and Common Sense Media. The results of the study show that nearly 90% of the adults who were surveyed strongly support COPPA and a huge majority also believes that it must be updated to meet the recent developments.
Those surveyed specifically stressed that advertisers must not gather any information whatsoever, from a child’s online account or mobile device, without first seeking the explicit support of their parents.
According to the CEO of Common Sense, James Steyer, “The results of this poll should be a wake-up call to the industry that parents understand what’s at stake for their kids in a digital world.”
Source: Common Sense Media
Courtesy: PC Mag
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