Vermont Republicans objected to an age-appropriate design code bill (S-69) on the Senate floor Wednesday. State senators voted 25-5 to amend the bill as previously recommended by the Institutions Committee, and then voted by voice to move the bill to a third reading. That action procedurally sets up a final vote, expected Thursday.
The FTC’s proposed rule under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) includes some concerning language related to “indefinite” data retention, Commissioner Melissa Holyoak said Wednesday.
Despite originating as a way to protect children from harms in the digital world, age-verification practices have morphed into a serious risk to privacy and digital rights, Rindala Alajaji, legislative activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), wrote in a blog Friday. “What started as a misguided attempt to protect minors from ‘explicit’ content online has spiraled into a tangled mess of privacy-invasive surveillance schemes affecting skincare products, dating apps, and even diet pills, threatening everyone’s right to privacy."
Privacy Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. All articles can be found by searching on the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Legislation that would allow individuals to sue tech platforms for hosting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) increases privacy protections for victims, Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Tuesday.
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Friday opposed TikTok's motion to dismiss a case alleging violation of consumer protection and product-liability laws, claiming its dismissal motion "rests on a mischaracterization of the allegations in the Complaint."
Kids and their guardians on Wednesday urged the U.S. District Court for Central California to continue pursuing a class-action complaint against TikTok alleging the social media platform invaded the privacy of users younger than 13, a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other laws. TikTok filed a motion to dismiss on Jan. 29 on the basis that the plaintiffs never identified what personal information was collected from them, or how that caused them harm.
Lead sponsors of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) haven't had substantive discussions about reintroducing the bill in the House, Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., told us in a recent interview.
State fervor for child online safety bills continued apace this week. Wyoming and Utah approved age-verification measures, while several states advanced bills or introduced them. Kids privacy and online safety have been a major focus for state legislatures this year (see 2502250017 and 2501170053). Accordingly, Privacy Daily is tracking more than 100 of these bills across the country (see map).
A U.S. district court judge approved an agreement by the parties Tuesday delaying California AG Rob Bonta (D) from enforcing certain provisions of the state’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act until at least April 5. NetChoice is challenging the legislation in court.