Senate bill proposes stricter privacy controls for children

Some politicians don't believe the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act does enough to protect kids in the modern era, and they're hoping to update it accordingly. Senators Ed Markey and Josh Hawley have introduced a bill that would amend COPPA w...

FTC loosens guidelines to let kids use voice commands

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act bars companies from collecting audio recordings from kids under 13 without their parents' permission. However, that raises concerns about voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri or Google Assis...

US senator wants to make sure the FTC takes smart toys seriously

It's not just parents that are worrying about the security of connected toys. Senator Mark Warner has sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission grilling it about efforts to protect kids' privacy when they use smart toys like the CloudPets you se...

Internet-connected toys accused of spying on kids

Smart toys can certainly inject some life into playtime, but they raise big privacy concerns when an internet connection is involved... and if you believe some critics, at least a few toys have crossed the line. Over 18 privacy groups are filing com...

Websites settle with New York over online child tracking

Some of the biggest child-oriented websites are learning a hard lesson about the importance of respecting kids' privacy. New York state has reached settlements with Hasbro, JumpStart Games, Mattel and Viacom for violating the Children's Online Priva...

Top Ten Internet Law Developments of 2013


A look back at the Internet law highlights of 2013: #10: Copyright Defendants Get High-Stakes Wins. 2013 saw several copyright defendants win long-running litigation affairs–and potentially crack...