Bipartisan Group of Senators Demands FTC Probe of Kids' Privacy Practices

The FTC should launch an investigation of “children’s data practices in the educational technology and digital advertising sectors,” a bipartisan group of senators wrote the agency Friday. Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked the agency to use its FTC Act Section 6(b) authority to better understand industry practices as it does “an ahead-of-schedule review of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule,” given increased tech demand due to COVID-19. Advocacy groups made the same request in April (see 2003310055). The lawmakers asked how personal data is collected, how consent is obtained and how long the data is retained. An FTC spokesperson confirmed receiving the letter.