Children’s Apps Unknowingly Collecting Data Pose Compliance Risk

Some apps used by children are collecting more data than even app developers know, posing problems for compliance with U.S. privacy law.

Under federal children’s privacy law, app makers that know children under 13 are using their apps must take steps to protect their data. Issues can come up when apps use third-party software that unknowingly collects data from users, often due to misconfigured settings, raising questions for liability under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

Updating COPPA’s so-called knowledge standard, as advocates have called for and some lawmakers have proposed, could force makers of such software to bear more ...