According to a new lawsuit filed in California, Disney secretly collects personal information from children and shares it with advertisers without parental consent. The lawsuit accuses Disney of “commercial exploitation” by targeting children under thirteen.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports:
Disney should not be using those software development companies, said Jeffrey Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “These are heavy-duty technologies, industrial-strength data and analytic companies whose role is to track and monetise individuals,” Chester said. “These should not be in little children’s apps.”
Disney said the lawsuit is misguided and intends to defend it in court. “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 company said in a statement Monday. “The complaint is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of COPPA principles, and we look forward to defending this action in Court.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission, online services that target users under the age of 13 should display a privacy policy that is plain to read and easy to understand. The policy must state the kind of information being collected and what the service might do with that data. Directions on how parents can give their consent should also be included.
This is not the first time that Disney has been accused of failing to comply with data collection policies for children’s games. In 2013, a Disney subsidy, Playdom, was fined $3 million for apps that collected children’s email addresses and ages, and allowed them to volunteer information such as their full names, instant messenger handles, and physical locations as part of their online profiles.
In a list published by the Washington Post, the apps named in the current complaint includes:
AvengersNet
Beauty and the Beast
Perfect Match
Cars Lightening League
Club Penguin Island
Color by Disney
Disney Color and Play
Disney Crossy Road
Disney Dream Treats
Disney Emoji Blitz
Disney Gif
Disney Jigsaw Puzzle!
Disney LOL
Disney Princess: Story Theater
Disney Store Become
Disney Story Central
Disney’s Magic Timer by Oral-B
Disney Princess: Charmed Adventures
Dodo Pop
Disney Build It Frozen
DuckTales: Remastered
Frozen Free Fall
Frozen Free Fall: Icy Shot
Good Dinosaur Storybook Deluxe
Inside Out Thought Bubbles
Maleficent Free Fall
Miles from Tomorrowland: Missions
Moana Island Life
Olaf’s Adventures
Palace Pets in Whisker Haven
Sofia the First Color and Play
Sofia the First Secret Library
Star Wars: Puzzle DroidsTM
Star WarsTM: Commander
Temple Run: Oz
Temple Run: Brave
The Lion Guard
Toy Story: Story Theater
Where’s My Water?
Where’s My Mickey?
Where’s My Water? 2
Where’s My Water? Lite/Where’s My Water? Free
Zootopia Crime Files: Hidden Object
Just goes to show that no matter what you do online, someone, somewhere is angling to collect your information.