Law360 Quotes Partner Gonzalo E. Mon on FTC Report Scrutinizing Mobile Apps for Kids
Partner Gonzalo E. Mon was quoted in the Law360 article, “FTC’s 2nd Privacy Report Turns Up Heat On Kids’ Apps.” The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently criticized mobile app developers, app stores, and third-party services for not disclosing how apps for children are sharing and collecting information. In the staff report, “Mobile Apps for Kids: Disclosures Still Not Making the Grade,” the Commission concluded that “little progress” has been made toward letting parents know what data is being collected on their children, how it is being shared or will have access to it.
Mr. Mon said, “The announcement from the FTC should serve as a wake-up call to app developers that they need to take privacy issues seriously.” He also advised developers to consider privacy issues from the early stages of app building, to hash out privacy policies with their legal teams and to make sure consumer can read the policies before they download the apps. “If a company fails to take these steps, it could quickly find itself in the midst of a lawsuit or regulatory investigation,” he said.
For more on this report, see the Kelley Drye client advisory, “FTC Continues to Scrutinize Children’s Mobile Apps and Concludes Privacy Disclosures Are Insufficient.”