3303 - Group 1 -ComplyCast

COPPA is a law that protects children's online privacy. Businesses must comply with COPPA by obtaining parental consent before collecting personal information from children. Noncompliance can result in fines. YouTube was fined $170 million for violating COPPA by collecting data from children without parental consent. Third-party sharing involves businesses sharing data with other parties. Facebook faced backlash for mishandling user data and sharing it with third-party developers without consent. Data monetization involves deriving value from data while staying within legal boundaries. Companies must be transparent, obtain user consent, and prioritize children's privacy when monetizing their data. Parents should be aware of the risks of sharing their children's information on social media. It's important to explain data monetization to children in a simplified and relatable way. On the side of the law, on the side of the law, who is right, who is wrong, who is for and who is against the law? On the side of the law, on the side of the law, who is right, who is wrong, who is for and who is against the law? Welcome to Complycast, the podcast where legal expertise meets the digital frontier. I'm your host, Jalisa, and today we're diving into crucial topics that impact both businesses and consumers alike. Joining us is a team of legal experts from Ladies Firm dedicated to unraveling the complexities of the digital landscape. There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected and that their welfare is protected and that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace. Today's episode is packed with insights on COPPA, third-party sharing, and data monetization. Let's jump right in. Our first topic is COPPA, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. It is a critical area of concern for businesses dealing with online content. Here to shed light on this is Ashlyn Watkins. Thanks for having me, Jalisa. COPPA aims to protect the online privacy of children under 13, imposing certain requirements on websites and online services. Noncompliance can lead to hefty fines for these operators. Businesses need to be diligent in ensuring that they are COPPA compliant to avoid legal repercussions. At the same time, parents need to be well informed about their child's rights and the regulations regarding this law. Operators of these websites and media platforms must provide clear and understandable notice and obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children. Most parents aren't aware of their rights, making it essential to educate them for a safer online environment for their children. COPPA's main goal is to ensure confidentiality, security, and integrity of personal information collected from children. Let me share an interesting case study of a company violating COPPA and what happened as a result of doing so. On September 4, 2019, Google and its subsidiary, YouTube, agreed to pay a $170 million fine to settle allegations made by the Federal Trade Commission. Most people don't know, but if you didn't know, the Federal Trade Commission is a federal agency that works to protect consumers against unfair or deceptive business practices. They enforce antitrust laws and they prevent anti-competitive behavior in the market. Essentially, they are for consumers and fight on our behalf. That's really good, right? So, hopefully now that you understand that piece of the puzzle, the rest will make some more sense. Essentially, the claim is that YouTube, with the help of cookies or persistent identifiers, collected personal information, including the user's internet browsing habits, for targeted advertising. They did this to viewers of child-directed channels. That's the main point here. Without notifying parents and getting their consent, which is a direct violation of COPPA. YouTube marketed and directed targeted ads towards children and would not acknowledge that a portion of the platform was directed towards them. But, because it is, it must comply with COPPA. As a result of the settlement, YouTube must now create and maintain a system that allows channel owners to identify their child-directed content and ensure that it complies with COPPA. The platform must also provide notice about their data collection and receive parental consent before doing so. Later, it was implemented for creators to specify if their content was made for children. There are bots processing if content is children-friendly, moderators constantly on the website, and more protections as well. This is just a recent example of COPPA law being enforced in a really tangible way that probably affects most parents right now. I hope that you can now have a better grasp on what it means and how it is implemented in the day-to-day. And now, for a small break. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Moving on to our next topic, third-party sharing. In today's interconnected world, data often flows beyond the immediate parties involved. Let's hear from Jada. Absolutely, Julissa, and thank you for having me. Businesses will usually engage with third parties for many different services, and data may be shared in this process. It's crucial for us to have very clear, transparent agreements in place for accountability purposes and to ensure that businesses are in compliance with privacy laws. Understanding the implications of third-party sharing keeps both businesses and us, the consumers, safe. Let me provide a real-world example of a company facing challenges with third-party data sharing and how they successfully address these issues while maintaining trust among their users. For instance, Facebook, a popular social media app we all know and love, is currently under scrutiny for its handling of user data and its relationships with third-party developers, advertisers, and other partners. In 2018, a scandal known as the Cambridge Analytica scandal took place where the personal data of millions of Facebook users was used without consent or political advertising. This scandal brought a large amount of attention to Facebook's data sharing practices and raises Facebook users' concerns about user privacy. Along with regulatory scrutiny and legal actions being taken against the app due to issues with data privacy, Facebook has also encountered public backlash and criticism in its role in opening the door for the handling of user data, spread of misinformation, and harmful content on social media sites. I think it's fair to say that though the backlash that Facebook is facing is widely known, there are also many other businesses and platforms that have faced challenges and controversies related to third-party data privacy. And now for a small break. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Now let's explore the fascinating world of data monetization. How can businesses leverage data while staying within legal boundaries? Here's Kagan to share some insights. Hello. Thank you for having me on your podcast today. I'm Kagan. I'm here to talk about data monetization. So data monetization involves deriving value from data, but it must be done ethically in accordance with privacy regulations. Businesses should be transparent about their data practices, obtaining user consent where necessary, and ensure that the benefits are mutual. Understanding the legal non-use of data monetization is crucial to building trust and avoiding legal pitfalls. Data monetization for kids raises significant ethical and privacy concerns. Children are a valuable population, and their data should be protected and used responsibly. Any data collection and monetization involving children should comply with strict regulations, such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which is called COPA in the United States. Companies should obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 in the United States. This includes information used from targeted advertising or other forms of data monetization. Additionally, companies should provide clear information about how children's data is collected, used, and shared, and offer parents ability to review and delete this data. It's important to prioritize children's privacy and well-being when considering any form of data monetization involving them. For instance, according to the article, Big Tech Has Your Kids' Data and You Probably Gave It to Them, it explains that the majority of parents nowadays enjoy posting about their families on social media. Along with those cute images, families are giving sensitive information about their children, which major Internet corporations are collecting. A major offender is posting, which includes parents normally disclosing their children's information, such as their names and date of birth. These social media posts about birth announcements may be made with good intentions, but they can have catastrophic implications. By doing this, it exposes the door to identity theft. Some experts within this article mention that the children's information was stored until their age of 18, at which point fraudulent credit cards and loan applications were produced in their names. While this article emphasizes present safety issues about children's data privacy, it also discusses some disturbing future possibilities. I am curious whether children's data may reappear in a few decades and affect them in the long term, but consider whether the stakes of data collection could be even higher. When it comes to discussing data monetization with kids, it's important to simplify the concept and make it relatable to their everyday experience. Here are some key points to consider when explaining data monetization to kids. Number one, what is data? Start by explaining that data is information. It can be anything from games they play, the videos they watch, to things they search online. Secondly, how companies use data. Explain to kids that companies collect data to learn about their customers. For example, when they play a game online, the company may track what levels they're good at or what items they like to buy in the game. The third one is data for personalization. Help kids understand that companies use data to personalize their experiences. This means recommending movies or TV shows they may like or showing ads for toys they are interested in. The fourth one is data exchange. Simplify the concept of data monetization by explaining that sometimes companies might share or sell the data they collected to other companies. This helps them understand how data can be valuable. The fifth one is earning money from data. Explain that when companies sell data, they can earn money from it. This money can help them improve their products or create new ones. The sixth one is privacy and consent. Teach your kids the importance of privacy and that it's important for companies to ask for permission including using their data. Encourage them to always ask for permission before sharing their personal information online. Lastly, the benefits of data monetization. Help kids understand that data monetization can lead to better services and products. For example, by using data, companies can create games that are more fun to play or recommend books that they might enjoy. Now, by breaking down the concept of data monetization into simple and relatable terms, kids can begin to grasp the idea of how data is used by companies and the values it holds. Start with examples that they can understand and encourage questions to foster a deeper understanding of this topic. Thank you guys for listening on my take of data monetization and the importance of data monetization as well. Thank you also for having me on this podcast and I hope you enjoy the rest of it. And now for a small break. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Thanks, Kagan, for calling in. Now, let's bring in a special guest, a mom, to provide additional perspectives on these topics. Welcome. Oh, well, we're trying to get her connected. Let's take a brief minute. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Thank you for having me. I've been following these legal developments closely, and it is crucial for parents to understand the legalities following the digital age, especially when they're growing and they're regarding my children and other children. Hi, Keonti. As someone who understands and deals with COPA cases and adoption and the social media world, I have some questions for you today, and I hope that you were able to gather some helpful information throughout this podcast. So it is a three-parter. Don't be alarmed. The first question I had was what social media platforms and how many are your children exposed to daily? And there is no shame here. My children have been exposed to so many different types of social media platforms. There's Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and who knows what else is out there. These have been the most prominent in my household. There could be many more that are less popular that I just have not seen. It's definitely hard to keep up these days, especially since I'm not on social media myself. Yeah, and that's completely understandable. It's definitely hard to regulate what they're doing if we're not even on it. So people are exposed to so many nowadays, including us adults. I believe upwards of 40% of children have phones now. And in this article from CNN that I found, about 17% of parents do not use parental controls because of just not knowing how. Kind of blatant ignorance and desire to find out. And 51% to 66% of adults do use some type of parental controls on certain content for children. So, I mean, how safe really are they, you know? Wow, that's extremely interesting. I do not realize that the percentage of children that actually have phones. I mean, 40% is not far from half of our children. I remember when I was little, I got my phone in third grade. But that was a flip phone. I have friends whose children have phone at seven years old. What, is that second, first grade maybe? My question to them is, where is your seven-year-old going to be without an adult? Where is your child's need for their own phone and why do they have it? Yeah, that is crazy to think about. And I hope nowhere, I hope they're going nowhere on their own. Having phones, having their own phones at that age is pretty concerning. So, let me get into my second question here. Do you have any parental controls on social media platforms that your kids have access to? And if not, are you hoping to change that now? So, currently, I don't have any parental controls if I'm being honest. Yeah. My children's phones mainly due to the lack of responsibility. But after listening to this Complycast this evening, I will definitely be setting up the parental controls. But I will also actively be monitoring all of my children's devices and their social media platforms. I would encourage more of doing away with the phone and more on-hands work on a daily basis. In addition to the monitoring and parental controls, I will have conversations with my children about the dangers of the internet and why we start having parental controls on the devices and the need for them. Yeah, I think that is definitely what we recommend. And I think some realistic conversations between us and our kids is so needed right now. But it is a great deal of responsibility for parents to monitor what their child is watching, especially on all of these different platforms because there are so many, what the child is watching, who they are speaking to, what is being advertised to them, and even what information is the platform collecting from them, like how I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, social media experts do feel that if a parent is not able to keep track of what their child is doing online, then it is best for them to not be on the platform yet, which is a little bit of a harsh truth, but I think it is something that we need to hear, you know? And I know this is a ton of information to take in today and that it can be overwhelming, but we do just want to give you the tools and resources to protect your children. When parents are informed on what is actually going on, we know that their kids are going to be much safer. I think taking that first step with monitoring and some controls is going to be a huge step for your family that you can feel really confident about. I think it is great that you are going to do it. So the last question I wanted to ask you was, how do you feel about all of this? Honestly, this is a lot for me to take in, all at once especially. There has been a ton of information you all have given me, but it has been very beneficial to know, and this was very easy to listen to. This is also a reality check to myself and to my fellow friends and fellow parents out there who are not monitoring their children's social medias or phone in general. I cannot stress enough to children about the dangers of the Internet. I have learned the hard way, unfortunately. Some parents who are monitoring their children's social media are still ignorant to the dangerous things that are out there. Their children can be exposed to you, at least that is what I hear from other parents that are gossiping about what the next parent is allowing their children to post or their children to watch or their children to see. I definitely think there needs to be more parents who either don't put their child on a phone or on social media or even let their child have social media to begin with. The more we take away might be harsh at first, but it will be a better outcome in the end. I definitely agree with you, and I think it's a good conversation that we're able to have, and hopefully other parents are able to listen to this and to the information that we've given everybody today. And it is a huge reality check to hear this type of information as a parent. Well, I appreciate you so much, Chianti, for answering my questions so honestly and for your time and your input as well. I'm excited for you to take back control and to protect your children. Best of luck to you. Well, that wraps up the first episode of Complycast. A big thank you to our legal experts from Ladyfirm and our special guest, Chianti, for sharing her experience. To our listeners, stay tuned for information, stay compliant, and join us next time as we continue to explore the ever-evolving intersection of law and technology. Until then, this is Jaleesa signing off. And for the credits. © transcript Emily Beynon © transcript Emily Beynon Hello, I'm Kaylee Traylor. I'm the technical overview of Ladyfirm's podcast named Complycast. I hope you all really enjoyed today's episode and you continue to follow along through the series. I am from Paris, Texas. Well, however, I would like to eventually go to the real Paris one day. It's not the same. We also are on Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Apple Music, which are all free and linked below. So make sure you go like and subscribe and follow along. Please join in and watch so we can continue the series for all seeking legal advice. If you want any help of starting your podcast, give me a message at t.overview at gmail.com. And again, t.overview at gmail.com. Hi, I'm Jada, and I'm a legal expert with Ladyfirm, and I specialize in third-party data sharing. You can follow me on TikTok and Facebook Reels where I share tips and tricks on how to regain and protect your privacy. I also will be sharing information on what to look for when agreeing to terms and conditions about third-party data sharing. So tune in when you can. Hi, I'm Kagan. I'm a legal advocate from San Francisco. I'm here to focus on ethical and privacy compensation, which is crucial in today's digital age. If you need any more information and or assistance, please follow my social media, and I am here to help you with any of your needs. Thank you, and thanks to all guys for having me on your podcast today. Thank you, Kagan, for calling in. I'm Keonti, a mom of three teenagers from Colorado. I have a 19-year-old daughter, a 17-year-old daughter, and a 13-year-old son. My knowledge on the COPA laws is very limited, but I hope to gain valuable knowledge from Complycast. I appreciate the legal experts here to break down some basic methods on how to protect my children on the Internet. We are so glad you joined us today, Keonti. So my name is Ashlyn Watkins, and I am a legal expert at Lady Firm, of course, who deals with COPA and social media cases, and I really strive to defend parents and their children on the Internet. I am also, I do have a YouTube and an Instagram where I break down specific cases a bit further, if you're interested. It's called Ash Talks. There you can see the consequences of the actions of these platforms and the results parents are left with. So I hope you can check it out, and we hope you enjoy. Thanks, everybody.