In more FTC news, the agency announced yesterday that online review site Yelp, Inc., and mobile app developer TinyCo, Inc., agreed to settle separate FTC charges "that they improperly collected children’s information in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, Rule." Under the settlements, Yelp will pay a $450,000 civil penalty, and TinyCo will pay a $300,000 civil penalty.
The FTC alleged that Yelp collected the names, email addresses, and locations of minors who downloaded apps, without notifying parents and obtaining their consent. The FTC alleged that many TonyCo. apps are targeted to children, and that TinyCo. collected email addresses when users downloaded the apps.
In addition to the monetary penalties, both settlements require the company to delete the information collected from minors under age 13.
