BALTIMORE, MD—A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, including Maryland’s Anthony G. Brown, sent a letter (PDF) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging the agency to update and strengthen the rules that technology companies must follow when collecting personal data about children online.

The letter argues that the current rules, outlined in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which was enacted in 1998, are outdated and do not provide sufficient protection for children in a digital age. The attorneys general believe that the rules need to be updated to reflect the evolving marketplace and new technologies, such as biometric data and artificial intelligence.

Specifically, the attorneys general are calling on the FTC to expand the definition of personal information to include biometric data such as fingerprints, retina, and iris patterns, DNA sequences, and data derived from voice data, gait data, and facial data. They also believe that the rules should limit the personalization of content to user-driven actions and the internal operations exception that companies use to justify collecting and using personal information.

The letter also calls on the FTC to clarify the use of children’s personal information by schools and require separate opt-in for targeted advertising. The attorneys general believe that the FTC should also streamline the parental consent processes and require separate parental consents for collection and disclosure of children’s personal information.

By updating the rules, the FTC can help to protect children from internet risks and ensure that online services are safe and secure for young users. The attorneys general believe that the FTC should take action to safeguard children’s privacy in online data brokers and updated the COPPA rules to reflect the evolving marketplace and new technologies.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels