Stronger online privacy protection for children sought

A who's who of advocacy groups today urged the Federal Trade Commission to beef up privacy protection for children who are spending more time on the Internet.

In this filing, 17 organizations call on the FTC to update and clarify its children's online privacy rules to ensure the continued effectiveness of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act in the contemporary digital marketplace.

"The Commission should enact new rules for COPPA that draw upon its current investigations into behavioral marketing and other current digital advertising practices," said Jeff Chester, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy. "It's time for the FTC to do a better job of protecting the privacy of children online."

Chester says predators are developing new techniques for "tracking and targeting children through mobile phones, video games, and virtual worlds."