Disney has a new COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) problem to deal with. The house of the mouse is facing a class action lawsuit claiming that 42 of its gaming apps aimed at children violate COPPA.
Sadly this is not the first time the firm has faced these type of claims. In 2013, the Disney-owned Playdom violated COPPA rules by illegally collecting and disclosing personal information from hundreds of thousands of children. Disney had to pay $3 million as part of the FTC lawsuit.
In a report by American City Business Journals, they spoke to an Amanda Rushing who claims there was any parental consent was asked for when her child downloaded the app Disney Princess Palace Pets. Rushing claims the app collected personal information about her child and shared that information with third-parties including advertisers.
A federal class action lawsuit has been filed in US District Court in Northern California by law firms Lieff Cabraser and Carney Bates & Pulliam against The Walt Disney Co., as well as software developers Upsight Inc., Unity Technologies SF, and Kochava Inc.
Up to 42 Disney apps are included in the lawsuit.
Disney responded to the lawsuit with the following statement:
“Disney has a robust COPPA compliance program, and we maintain strict data collection and use policies for Disney apps created for children and families. The complaint is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of COPPA principles, and we look forward to defending this action in court.”
