FTC Clarifies Children's Online Privacy Rules

The FTC won't punish websites and online services for not obtaining parental consent before collecting the audio file of a child's voice when used solely to replace written words, as long as the information is held for a short time and only for that purpose, said a policy enforcement statement released Monday. The updated policy approved 2-0 applies to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule that requires certain operators of commercial websites or online services to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The new policy doesn't apply when an operator requests information via voice that would otherwise be considered personal information, such as a name. An operator still must provide clear notice of its collection and use of audio files and its deletion policy in its privacy policy. The company may not make any other use of the audio file before it's destroyed and the policy doesn't affect other COPPA compliance requirements.