A number of child protection and privacy groups have asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to launch an inquiry into viral campaigns that are centered on children through online networks.
The main cause for complaint involves what is known as "tell a friend" or "refer a friend" campaigns. The Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and 16 other advocacy groups named McDonald's, Viacom, Turner Broadcasting -- known for its Cartoon Network channel -- General Mills and Subway in five separate complaints with the FTC.
At the center is the contention that these major corporations have violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The complainants argue that by encouraging children to play brand-based games then share their experiences with friends -- by providing an email address -- not only does the practice violate COPPA, but this kind of marketing is "unfair" and "troubling".
The groups say within the complaint:
Such tell-a-friend campaigns, a powerful form of word-of-mouth marketing traditionally directed at teens and adults, are inherently unfair and deceptive when aimed at children, who often aren't even aware that they are being asked to generate advertising messages. The practices also violate existing privacy laws for children.
In a letter sent to the FTC (.pdf), the CDD uses sev... [Read more]
via CNET http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/NnTv/~3/wc971bLT5bc/
No comments:
Post a Comment