Barton, Markey Want VTech Answers on Data Practices, COPPA Compliance

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote VTech Wednesday, asking the supplier of children's learning toys to provide information about its data protection, collection, use and sharing practices after last week's announcement that hackers stole potentially more than 11 million customer and children's records worldwide, including those of 5 million Americans (see 1512010041). "This breach raises a number of concerns about how VTech complies with COPPA [the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act],” they said in the letter to VTech Chairman and Group CEO Allan Wong Chi Yun. Barton and Markey asked how VTech protects customer data, such as whether it uses encryption, what steps it's taking to prevent future breaches, and what type of theft monitoring services it's offering to those affected by the breach. The lawmakers gave VTech until Jan. 8 to respond. The company did not comment. In a news release about the letter, Markey and Barton, both co-founders of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, also said they, along with Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., introduced the Do Not Track Kids Act (HR-2734, S-1563) in June that would update COPPA "by expanding and enhancing rules for the collection, use and disclosure of children's personal information."