Salyersville, KY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/20/2013 -- With the issue of children’s online safety being on the forefront of parental minds, the new update announcement may be of interest to them as well as legal firms like Grover Arnett Law Office. The FTC has recently released an update for the COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection) rule.
The newly released update consists of a document that outlines and expounds upon 92 “Frequently Asked Questions” which are designed to better inform parents and website owners concerning the details of the amended ruling and how it will affect those involved. This informative update comes just two months before its guidelines go into effect requiring companies to comply.
The amended COPPA ruling exacts a great burden on website operators to comply with strict regulations governing the usage of children under the age of 13. Attorneys specializing in privacy law expect even greater implications towards the enforcing of the new regulations.
Reed Smith law firm partner, John Feldman, is a legal specialist covering consumer protection and advertising regulation law and he points out that the ruling is more about changing overall privacy policy than it is about protecting children.
Those operating websites and other online services, including the promotion of mobile apps, are required under COPPA to obtain parental consent before gathering any information on children. The amended ruling further defines “personally identifiable information” as not only written information, but also videos, photos and even such items as IP address and others considered “persistent identifiers”. Mr. Feldman advises that this is a major policy change since no court nor even Congress has ever considered labeling IP addresses under the “personally identifiable information” umbrella.
The revised COPPA ruling is expected to net a large number of companies within its compliance ruling due to the broader definition and expectations. The company of practically every child-directed website gathers some form of information that would be affected by COPPA, Grover Arnett Salyersville reports Mr. Feldman as saying.
All effected companies will be required by July 1 to clearly and prominently display a privacy policy link on their websites. Normally, web designers place these links at the bottom of the page. However, the newly released FAQ advised that such placement is not considered prominent. The FTC goes on to advise that most policies are in violation, meaning huge strategy changes will need to take place placing a huge burden on companies to comply.
About Grover Arnett
Grover Arnett is known for being a hard worker and the success of his law firm reflects his commitment to quality. He established the William Grover Arnett Law Firm to meet the needs of Salyersville, Kentucky residents in 1991 and has tirelessly worked to build strong relationships between himself, his legal team, and all clients coming to the firm for legal help. More information can be found by visiting the Grover Arnett website.
Name: Dean Vormanal
Email address: deanvormanal@gmail.com
Location: Salyersville, KY