SpongeBob app accused of violating children’s data privacy

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SpongeBob app children’s data privacy allegations overview:

• Who: A SpongeBob SquarePants-themed app will revamp itself to resolve allegations under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
• Why: The app was accused of not properly protecting children’s data privacy and tricking users into engaging with ads.
• Where: The app is operated out of the United States.

A SpongeBob SquarePants-themed app will make changes to resolve allegations brought under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

The move comes as BBB National Programs’ children’s advertising branch, Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), claims that Tilting Point Media LLC violated COPPA and the watchdog’s Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Advertising and for Children’s Online Privacy Protection, Law360 reports. Tilting Point Media LLC is the owner and operator of the SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off app. 

CARU alleges the SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off app doesn’t adequately protect children’s data privacy and that users are tricked into engaging with ads, the industry watchdog says. 

The game maker allegedly fails to ensure that personal information from users younger than age 13 isn’t being collected without parental consent, Law360 reports. CARU also says the lines between advertising and non-advertising content are blurred.

Tilting Point makes changes to SpongeBob app following children’s data privacy allegations

As a result of the children’s data privacy allegations, the company proactively implemented changes to address each of CARU’s concerns regarding its advertising and children’s data privacy practices, Titling Point says.

It says it made some of the changes early in the investigation and continues to take other corrective actions to address the remaining violations. 

While the SpongeBob app does have an age screen, CARU alleges that this mechanism didn’t prevent the watchdog from using the app while pretending to be a 10-year-old child, agreeing to Tilting Point’s terms of service and privacy policy and consenting to the processing of that child’s data for the purposes of receiving personalized advertising, according to Law360.

The federal law requires apps for kids to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using or disclosing personal information from users younger than age 13.

The watchdog also asserts that there was nothing preventing someone who identified as younger than age 13 from agreeing to grant the app permission to track that user’s activity “across other companies’ apps and websites” for the purpose of delivering personalized ads, Law360 reports.

As a result, Tilting Point updated its age screen to direct users to two different versions of the app: a child version for users younger than age 13 and an adult version for older users, Law360 says..

The company has also moved forward with changes to address alleged violations of CARU’s advertising guidelines, which make clear that advertisers must not manipulate or deceive children, according to the watchdog.

The news comes after the Federal Trade Commission recently issued a warning to education technology companies on children’s data privacy. 

What do you think of the allegations about the SpongeBob app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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