FTC Votes Unanimously to Retain July 1 Date for Implementation of the Updated Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule

The Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to retain the July 1, 2013 date for implementation of the updated Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.  In a letter to industry organizations that had requested that the Commission reconsider the July 1 date, the Commission noted that implementation of the updated rule marks the culmination of a three-year process.  The July 1 date was announced last December, providing companies more than six months to prepare.

During that period, the Commission noted, FTC staff have conducted numerous meetings and consultations with organizations and individual businesses on how to ensure compliance with the new rule, and recently issued an updated set of frequently asked questions for businesses and parents.

In the letter, the Commission also noted the importance of ensuring that the enhanced privacy protections of the revised rule are available to children without delay, especially in the face of rapid evolution in the ways children interact with the Internet.

The commission vote approving the issuance of the letter was 4-0. (FTC File No. P135410; the staff contacts in the Bureau of Consumer Protection are Peder Magee, 202-326-3538; Kristin Cohen, 202-326-2276; and Kandi Parsons, 202-326-2369.)