Mobile Apps And Children's Privacy
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-12-13/mobile-apps-and-childrens-privacy
The number of kids using mobile technology is exploding. Apple’s app store has seen a 40% increase of downloads in just nine months. Google Play’s growth has been even more dramatic – 80% over the same period. But the Federal Trade Commission is concerned popular smartphone and tablet apps aimed at children are collecting and sharing personal data without informing parents. The agency claims the data collected allows companies to target ads with new precision. While app developers agree children should be protected, they fear some of the FTC’s proposals could stifle innovation. Join Diane and her guests as they discuss concerns about mobile apps and children’s privacy.
Guests
Jessica Rich
associate director of the division of financial practices in the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission.
Morgan Reed
executive director of the Association for Competitive Technology.
Cecilia Kang
technology reporter for The Washington Post.
Angela Campbell
director of the Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown University Law School.
Senator Al Franken
Democratic U.S. senator from Minnesota
Comments
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The Diane Rehm show must have a new staff or something. Not touching international foreign policy during the week. Are you folks getting hounded by some group? Not even turning the audio own. Not saying this is not important just saying someone like Kojo could do this story. Newslite
Dear Diane,
Thank you for your show. I think what Mr. Reid said about parents handing over their passwords to their children is way out in left field. I personally monitor and control every app that is downloaded onto my children's devices. However, once inside the app a password is no longer required to purchase virtual cash and other play items. I have fallen victim to this when my 6 year old purchased over $500 in pet coins by simply pressing "yes". I know of other mothers who have had over $1000 charged for "In App" purchases. Itunes states that once inside the app there is no way to control this, let's face it no one has the time to watch every second of play. Shouldn't there be regulations that prohibit in app purchases without a password? Thank you. Nanette from Fort Worth, Texas.
This information needs to be distributed by some other method than reading the instructions. As a teacher and observer in Chicago, over 50% students do not complete high school. A great majority of the students that do graduate (primarily through "social promotion") do not know how to read or fill out a form. This has been going on for decades. So, just in Chicago we have 100,000s of people that cannot read, let alone operate a computer or use logic. So, how can you expect parents to read the information necessary for them to know what their children are doing on the computers? Corporations and politicians are taking advantage of this situation.
People need to not worry about what OTHER people are doing with their kids and what devices they are permitted to use. What is good for one family is not always fitting for another. And parents need to be responsible and know what their children are doing. If you can't trust your child, then don't let them use a mobile device unsupervised. It's as simple as that.
The allegation that sharing information with third parties is a problem is ridiculous. The information is NOT personal -- it is ANONYMOUS. Finally, it can ONLY be used to determine whether to send an advertisement for a Furby or a Cruise. Nobody can get stalked by using this anonymous information. Yes, allowing kids to swipe a credit card without parents knowledge is a problem, but you shouldn't take down the entire system which finances apps and drives internet creativity when you could just educate parents. This is a case of big brother (or overbearing mother) making a mountain out of a molehill and threatening to take down the engine that drives internet innovation.
- Joe in Great Falls VA
Please ask your guests about the so-called Reid/Kyl bill. This outrage, currently circulating sub-rosa in the Capitol, would permit casino gambling in Facebook!
Regarding tracking of kids by the smart phones, there have also been tests by white-hat hackers that found they could control cell phones (I'm not sure specifically about iPhones or Android-based phones) from as far away as a quarter-mile using and active Bluetooth connection, as well. It seems to me that this could also be used to enable location services, even if the parent had disabled it.
"I washed my hands this morning,
So very clean and bright.
I lift them up to bidness,
To serve it day and night.
Little apps be careful,
where you take me to.
Anything for Wall Street,
Only let me do."
In a nation that is amusing itself to death to enrich the less than one percent you'd hope informed parents wouldn't let their kids play with an explosive cash register. You'd hope there'd be nonspending activities to help develop and educate babies, and adults too. But usually noncommercial fraternizing is discouraged. Discussion of this poorly framed and pre-agended topic can't help but foster resignation. This variety of radio rivals TV in magnetizing butts to the couch.
It sounds again like parents want the world to bring up their kids.
There is no need for more protections for mobile apps.
There is a need for parents to do their job of parenting or maybe not have kids if they don't want to do the job of bringing them up.
Yep kathleen, DRShow is now app-brained.
Their judgment is somewhere way up in a corporate cloud and belongs to the Oligarchy: colonized mind turned inside-out. (Hard to get a good hairdoo?) That's typical nowadays. (Cram the neurons back in, smile like crazy, and order a big blonde wig.)
Also: Notice how colonized minds are chiming in to defend their "joy devices." An electronic addict is little different than a heroin addict and will eventually sell their children for another hit. That is why regulation (far beyond apps) is justified.
There was some talk about unique figures and custom jeans that fit them.
Any links or uploadable web sites to view them?
For research purposes of course.
THX-
So unlike myself you still retain your pubescent traits I take it.
(especially as regards uneven body development, since you need such a site, or app) Consider well before touching that screen. (Ask Mom)
I am an independent developer and the lack of clear standards is a problem. I would love to get anonymous usage details about how my app is used by kids. It would really help me make ABC Fireworks better. However, since I don't want any backlash I've avoided putting usage tracking in my app. I wish there were clear guidelines and tools for tracking usage while protecting children's privacy.
Bravo! Bravo! During the Mobile Apps show, 2 times Diane pronounced "Washington" as it is spelled when referencing The Washington Post. Excellent! Typically, Diane opens her show every day saying "....... from WARshington DC....." and drawling out the "AR". Typically throughout the show she also pronounces the capital of the United States as "WARshington". Diane is a gifted, eminent public announcer. She has magnificently managed her voice disorder of spastic dysphonia. She deserves further admiration and respect for this. Why then, can't Diane (and the broadcast administrative personnel) realize the dialectical pronunciation of "WARshington" is contradictory to the persona of any public announcer and screetchingly uncomfortable to the listener. I have listened to Diane meticulously pronounce the name of people and places as a gesture of respect and correctness. Why then, can't she focus the same conscientiousness to pronounce the capital of the United States as it is spelled?
I am disappointed that not a single guest mentioned the fact that you can disable location services and in-app purchase through the main settings menu on any smartphone. If a person chooses to purchase such a device they should take the time to learn how to actually use it. Ignorance does not absolve a person of responsibility when it comes to protecting one's privacy.
Is there a third party place I can go to find out about what and and does and what information it collects?
Nanette,
I wanted to take a moment to answer your question directly. Your understanding of in-app purchases is no longer correct. Apple has changed in-app purchasing so that your child is not able to simply hit "yes" to make a purchase - "in app" now requires the parent's iTunes password.
Additionally, You can turn off ALL in-app purchases for your child by going to the Settings screen, then touch "General" and then "Restrictions". Within "Restrictions", you can set up incredibly granular controls for specific apps, or more easily, turn off features like in-app purchasing and even installations of apps themselves. Best of all, the "Restrictions" screen has a completely separate password from the device, or even your iTunes account.
Companies like Apple and Microsoft have been improving their products at light speed (and that's a good thing), but it's not surprising that parental knowledge may not have kept up with the changes.
You can keep track of cool kids apps by reading The "Jellybean Tunes App Report" http://jellybeantunes.com/appreport.html You will note that the report makes an effort to mention if the app has in-app purchasing right there on the link.
Hope that helps,
Morgan Reed
Executive Director
Association for Competitive Technology
Timothy B,
Yes, you can go to privacychoice.org The website includes tools so that you can see what information specific apps are collecting or sharing.
Morgan Reed
mdp151,
I'm sorry I didn't make that clear enough in my discussion of settings - I was trying to highlight the full suite of tools available to parents.
You are completely right that location and in-app can be turned off, and using the "Restrictions" feature can even turn them off and set a separate password to be turned back on.
Morgan Reed
Greg Houston,
We are, in fact working on that issue. THere's already a full set of kids icons that were created in conjunction with Moms With Apps, and we are now working with NTIA on broader best practices for all apps.
Feel free to send me an email or call me directly so that we can get you involved.
Also, depending where you are in the country, we are putting on developer boot camps to help operationalize privacy notification and dealing with issues like SDKs that "leak".
Morgan Reed
Executive Director
Association for Competitive Technology
When you purchase a app vs. using the free version, does that app no longer collect and share your information?
Timothy,
That depends.
In the case of free, ad supported apps, information may not only be collected, but often shared with a wide range of partners. This is the "sharing" Ms. Rich from the FTC was focusing on. Outside of that, apps may need to collect information but not share it for functionality, features and even marketing the product itself (think "we have 10,000 users in Iceland"!)
So the ad supported app is almost certainly collecting info that is passed to advertisers, however the paid app more often than not will be sharing far less, even if it is collecting a similar amount.
Now some apps make a point to have no info sharing on the paid version. If there's an app that you want to check on, you can contact the developer or use tools at privacy choice.org to see what info is being collected.
I was sad to see so little emphasis on parental responsibility on your show today. Why would anyone ever want to let their children wonder around unsupervised talking to masked strangers. Why do it in the virtual world than. It baffles me that people allow themselves to pretend that there is a secure internet. The biggest world governments can't secure it. People need to be responsible for their children 24/7.