FTC to Unveil COPPA Enforcement Revisions Dec. 19

Legislators line up to join in the announcement

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/18/2012 4:29:00 PM

The Federal Trade Commission will release its updates to enforcement of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Wednesday (Dec. 19) according to various legislators who will join in the unveiling.

In separate releases on Tuesday, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), and Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said they would join FTC chair Jon Leibowitz in the announcement on the Hill. All three have been among the most vocal congressional advocates for greater privacy protections for kids.

Rockefeller announced he would be hosting the announcement in the Russell Senate Office Building along with Leibowitz and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), followed not long after by the announcement by Markey's office that he and Barton would be there as well.

The FTC has proposed to make ad networks subject to COPPA when they are collecting personal information through a child-directed website, as well as adding behavioral advertising tracking cookies and geolocation information to the definition of kids' personal information that behavioral marketers and websites must get permission from parents to obtain.

Markey and Barton have proposed a kids' do-not-track bill and Rockefeller has backed legislation that would apply to adults and kids.

Cable and wireless operators said that there could be unintended consequences to the changes as proposed, including putting a crimp in TV Everywhere online delivery of kids content.