Meta said its Facebook and Instagram platforms will tighten restrictions on data available to advertisers to target teens, the Guardian reports. Starting in February, advertisers will no longer be able to access a user's gender or posts they have engaged with for targeted advertising. Instead, only a user's age and location will be available. Meta also said teenagers will be offered new options in Facebook and Instagram settings to "see less" of certain types of ads.Full Story... Read More

After years of developing under the surface, teen privacy safeguards in the United States may have finally reached puberty. Although headlines about the Federal Trade Commission’s enforcement action against Epic Games are likely to focus on the high price tag — $275 million in administrative penalties and $245 million in consumer refunds — privacy professionals should zoom in on the operational takeaways for any organization that runs an online site or service used by individuals under 18, wheth... Read More

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced Epic Games agreed to a $520 million settlement over alleged Children's Online Privacy Protection Act violations. The settlement covers FTC claims of nonconsensual data collection of users under the age of 13 and unlawful communications that proved harmful to Fortnite video game players. The company will pay $275 million in civil penalties and $245 million in refunds to users affected by "dark patterns." Epic Games also agreed to delete data associate... Read More

The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act may lead to greater privacy protections for minors across the U.S., Government Technology reports. The law, which goes into effect in 2024, could make it “difficult for technology companies to apply different rules to users in different places,” and could compel them to add stronger protections by default. Technology industry groups could still challenge the law because certain provisions “are overly vague,” such as requiring websites to “estimate t... Read More

The ever-evolving nature of online advertising often leaves children most vulnerable to their messages, whether knowingly or unknowingly. However, in the digital advertising world, children today are even more susceptible to ads that obfuscate the differences between commercials and entertainment, brought in part by so-called influencer culture. As part of receiving public input on the effects online advertising has on children, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission staff held an all-day virtual w... Read More

Gizmodo reports U.S.-based security firm Disconnect released its "Do Not Track Kids" tool, which provides children's privacy education while simultaneously blocking online tracking of minors. The application can be installed on a device to immediately block the trackers from third-party apps and those sent to email inboxes while also blocking cryptocurrency miners. The app also encrypts and filters domain name systems to shield from telecommunications and internet service provider tracking. Disc... Read More