Industry Should Question Viewer Ages for Online Content, Advertisers Tell FTC 

Platforms should be able to “rebut” the presumption viewers of youth-directed online content are underage, the Association of National Advertisers said. The commission collected comment in FTC-2019-0054 this week on reviewing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act rule (see 1912120062). Platforms shouldn’t be required to investigate user ages, ANA said: That "would be contrary to the ‘actual knowledge’ standard set forth in the COPPA statute, and would limit the ability of operators to offer such platforms (particularly smaller platforms).” Consumer groups say viewers of kid content should all be assumed to be under 13. TechFreedom sought clarifying the definition of “child-directed” content, asking to “reject the notion that merely ‘appealing to children’ or being ‘attractive to children’ qualifies as ‘child-directed,’ as COPPA requires.