Author: Ayanna Alexander / Source: Bureau of National Affairs
Geolocation data—the information that tags your real-world location when you are dallying in cyberspace—is essential for many mobile applications. It allows people to ride-share via Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., hunt augmented-reality beasts in Niantic Inc.’s Pokemon GO, and find the closest (but also most awesome) taco place using Yelp Corp.’s app. But giving away location information concerns some consumers worried about their privacy and security.
Snap Inc. caught some backlash from users of its SnapChat social media app, after it added an interactive “Snap Map” that shows followers where they can find users. The feature raised privacy concerns for parents, particularly those with young children who use the app but wouldn’t clearly understand consent issues in privacy policies and terms of service. Parents worried that there was the potential for strangers to be able to follow the location of their children.
The Federal Trade Commission enforces the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which protects children’s privacy and regulates how apps operate with users under the age of 13. COPPA requires parental consent for collecting information from children under 13, confirming that parental consent is one of the stickiest challenges of COPPA compliance. Last year the…
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