RENO, Nev., March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Kids Best iPad Apps conducted a study in March 2013 and found that only 104 out of 440 kids apps include a link to a privacy policy in its App Store promotion pages. And, these links did not always connect to a privacy policy but to a website without one.
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"Given the importance of this issue, our site has stopped reviewing apps without a published privacy policy," said Kids Best iPad Apps CEO Mitchell Cogert. "Parents need reassurance that developers are not taking advantage of an app's access to their children."
The Federal Trade Commission recently expanded its Children's Online Privacy Policy Act (COPPA) to apps. This rule puts procedures in place requiring companies to get parental approval before collecting online information from kids under 13. But this act does not come into effect until July.
"Why wait? Parents can visit our site today and find out if an app is collecting information from their kids," said Cogert.
Kids Best iPad Apps designed a special logo to highlight apps that have a privacy policy and it is prominently displayed on the app review pages. The logo links to the app's privacy policy so parents can review it.
"When I contacted developers about this issue, I found they are so busy creating the next great kids app, they haven't even thought about a privacy policy," said Cogert. "This seems especially true with developers outside the U.S."
The study looked at 440 kids iPad apps that have been reviewed on the Kids Best iPad Apps site. Each app's promotion page was checked on the App Store. If a privacy policy link was listed in the App Store, the link was followed to determine if it led to a privacy policy.
About Us
Kids Best iPad Apps makes it easier than ever for parents and teachers to find the best iPad apps for their kids by providing brief written reviews and short videos of an app in use. The site recommends the best iPad apps by age and subject. To date, there are over 500 kids app reviews and videos, with over 325,000 views of the videos. For more information, please visit www.KidsBestiPadApps.com.
Contact
Mitchell Cogert
Kids Best iPad Apps
Email
415-608-6103
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