Amazon Calls Children's Privacy Complaint Groundless

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Amazon Calls Children's Privacy Complaint Groundless

Posted by timothy on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @07:28AM from the you-mean-kids-have-privacy dept.

theodp writes "Eleven groups, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Junkbusters, filed a complaint with the FTC, asking that it investigate Amazon for violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. An Amazon spokesman called the complaint groundless because "Amazon.com is not a site directed at children." So what was the deal with those Amazon Press Releases for the Harry Potter Magical Candy Contest For Children Ages 6 to 13, Toy Quest Toy Design Contest For Kids 12 And Under, and the Be a Poet Contest For All Kids 12 and Under?" Update: 04/23 23:54 GMT by T :theodp writes with an update from Ad Age which says that Amazon has "announced it has removed children's identifying information from its Web sites."

5 of 206 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

If you looked carefully by unterderbrucke · 2003-04-23 07:31 · Score: 5, Informative

All those releases were dated for late 1999. The Children's Protection Act wasn't in place until 2001. Whoever submitted this article sure went to a lot of trouble to make Amazon look hypocritical.
eBay by ih8apple · 2003-04-23 07:35 · Score: 3, Informative

eBay is also being targetted by the same complaints and investigation.

--

Why do I h8 apple?
Toys R Us affiliation by artoo · 2003-04-23 07:37 · Score: 5, Informative

Riiight...and TRU isn't aimed at kids at all.

"Toysrus.com
Founded in 1998, Toysrus.com really gained momentum when it formed an alliance with Amazon.com in 2000. The site became an online retailing success story by more than tripling its sales and number of orders from the prior year and by giving guests a terrific online toy-buying experience. Since that time, Toysrus.com and Amazon.com have introduced two additional online shopping experiences with the launch of Babiesrus.com and Imaginarium.com."
Re:If you looked carefully - 2001 or 1998? by theodp · 2003-04-23 07:45 · Score: 4, Informative

The CNET article links to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 on the FTC site.
Re:Being 13 Years Old.... by Kredal · 2003-04-23 08:23 · Score: 3, Informative

I dunno about all fives, but I use 888-88-8888 as a fake SSN. It's coded into some (maybe more than some) systems as "this person doesn't have an SSN". I dunno why all 8's, and not all 9's or 1's or something. *shrug*

--
Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my