FTC to update children's online privacy.

• Position: PRIVACY - Federal Trade Commission - Brief article

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed changes to outdated regulations covering online privacy for children.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was enacted more than 10 years ago and does not address social media or smartphones. It requires companies to obtain parental consent before collecting any personal information about a child under age 13.

According to The New York Times, the FTC's proposed revisions expand the definition of "personal information" to include a child's location and any personal data collected through the use of cookies for advertising purposes. It also covers facial recognition technology. The revisions also stipulate that websites that collect a child's information must ensure they can protect it, retain it "for only as long as is reasonably necessary," and then safely delete it.

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The FTC also suggested that parental consent should no longer be obtained through a two-step e-mail and authorization process, but through alternate methods, such as getting scanned versions of signed consent forms and videoconferencing, The Times said.

The FTC said it will finalize the...