On April 19, 2005, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) invited interested parties to submit comments on its implementation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) through the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.

The commission called for comment on the costs and benefits of the rule and opinions on whether the rule should be retained, eliminated, or modified. The FTC also requested comment on practices relating to the collection and disclosure of children’s personal information and on children’s ability to obtain access to information of their choice online.  

TRUSTe filed comment this month stating that we believe that the COPPA Rule is working well. We further recommended that the FTC strengthen the safe harbor provisions of the COPPA Rule by providing that participation in good standing in a safe harbor program, such as a seal program, is an affirmative defense to an enforcement action by the FTC. We believe this measure would increase participation in safe harbors and greatly enhance privacy protections for children’s personal information online by giving more widespread recourse for parents who want to address the misuse of their children’s personal information.

You will soon be able to read the full text of TRUSTe’s letter to the FTC, along with all other filings, once the commission posts the public comments at www.ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/childrens_lr.html. If you would like to view TRUSTe’s filing before it is publicly posted, contact Martha Landesberg at mlandesberg@truste.org.

 

MAXAMINE