New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced that Viacom, Mattel, Hasbro and JumpStart Games will pay a combined $835,000 in penalties after the findings of his office’s “Operation Child Tracker” investigation indicated the companies violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the attorney general’s office reports in a press release. The investigation discovered that sites in the companies’ domains, like Barbie, My Little Pony, Neopets and Nickelodeon, were illegally tracking children for third-party advertising purposes, the report states. “My office remains committed to protecting children online and will continue our investigation to hold accountable those who violate the law by tracking children,” Schneiderman said. In addition to the fees, the companies will enact “comprehensive reforms” and in some cases, scanning for third-party trackers.
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