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Sony Hit With $1M Penalty For COPPA Violations

Posted by timothy on from the those-kids-knew-what-they-were-doing dept.

coondoggie writes "It really isn't a big enough penalty, and the company admitted no guilt, but Sony BMG Music Entertainment today agreed to pay $1 million as part of a settlement to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges that it knowingly violated the privacy rights of over 30,000 underage children. Specifically the FTC said the company violated the agency's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the FTC did say the penalty was its largest ever in a COPPA case. To provide resources to parents and their children about children's privacy in general, and social networking sites in particular, the penalty order requires Sony Music to link to certain FTC consumer education materials for the next five years."

8 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. And... by RulerOf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Do the violated children get the money?

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    1. Re:And... by Timothy+Brownawell · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Do the violated children get the money?

      I thought it was the parents who were "violated", by not getting the required assistance in keeping track of what their children are doing online (because putting the computer where they can see it is too hard)?

  2. Do they actually cut a cheque? by syousef · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Or do they weasel their way into spending $1M on anti-"Piracy" propaganda instead? "Look we're spending money educating the children!"

    However as I'm sure others will point out, Sony shareholders will only lose pocket money in lost profits (or alternately perhaps the execs can make do with 16 hookers at the corporate retreat instead of 20 this year). Boo-hoo.

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  3. "over 30,000 underage children" by Ztream · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There are non-underage children? I guess technically everyone is someones child, but..

    1. Re:"over 30,000 underage children" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      So, does "underage children" convey any more information than just "children"? I don't think so, but you know, legalese is weird that way.

      Uh, yes it does. "underage" has nothing to do with the age of the individual (child or adult) but an individuals age relative to some law or regulation.

      After all, the drinking age in the United States is 21. Would you consider an "underage" 20 year old a "child"? Of course not (though one might use the term to describe the persons relative youth). They are by all legal accounts an adult despite still being underage to drink.

      So, to answer your question, yes underage DOES give more information than just "children". What are people being taught these days that such obvious and literal definitions are being questioned?

  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  5. IMHO laws need to be changed by theaveng · · Score: 1, Insightful

    A sexually-mature teenager with independent thoughts is clearly not the same as an immature child.

    And yet the law treats them identically. Just as we allow teens to start driving at age 16, perhaps we should allow them to register on websites. After all it's certainly safer to "submit a broad range of personal information, together with date of birth" to mileycyrus.com than to drive a 4000 pound vehicle. We forbid the former, but allow the later??? Not logical.

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  6. Privacy vs Copyright by A+Guy+From+Ottawa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So the RIAA typically goes after $750 per song for a COPYRIGHT violation (but has asked for much more if I remember correctly).

    For violating the PRIVACY of CHILDREN, Sony is charged $33 per child...

    Isn't it amazing what society values more? Oops...scary is the word I was looking for, not amazing.

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