USCCB Communications Joins Call For Updates To Kids’ Online Privacy Protections

WASHINGTON—A broad coalition of childadvocacy, health, parents, privacy, and consumer organizations—including theCommunications Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, and the American PsychologicalAssociation and Consumers Union—has released a letter to the Federal TradeCommission (FTC) to express strong support for proposed updates to theChildren's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

COPPA was passed by Congress in 1998 and is designed toenable parents to decide how and whether Internet companies and operators cancollect and use personal information from their children under the age of13.

The FTC is considering the first updates to the COPPArules, which were established in 2000. The December 13 letter says that "rapidexpansion of digital media during the last decade, data collection andmarketing practices have become increasingly sophisticated and much lesstransparent, undermining the ability of parents to make meaningful decisionsfor protecting their children's privacy and safety." The letter describes theproposed updates to the COPPA rules as "not only essential, but also urgent."

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Keywords:child advocacy, Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, COPPA, FTC, FederalTrade Commission, digital media, data collection, protection, U.S. bishops,USCCB, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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