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Are you available this week to discuss how significant the children’s online privacy challenge is in the mobile age?
A new study published by researchers affiliated with the International Computer Science Institute found that thousands of free apps available in the Google Play store are potentially violating a major federal data-privacy law intended to protect children from online tracking.
The researchers found:
5% of the apps included in the study collected users’ location or contact data without first obtaining parental consent.
1,100 of the apps (19% of those studied) shared sensitive information with third-party services.
2,281 apps (39%) appeared to violate Google’s terms of service regarding the sharing of persistent identifiers.
40% of the apps in the study shared users’ personal information via the internet without applying reasonable security measures.
I have an expert from Kidoodle.TV, an ad-free video app that ensures the safe media viewing practices for children that could weigh in on the controversy.
The LOWE-Down!
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