Popular education app transmits kids' personal info to third party without parental consent, lawsuit claims

Published January 08, 2015

The New Jersey attorney general reportedly claims in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that a developer for one of Apple's top-selling education apps collected children's personal information and gave it to a third party without parental consent.

New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said in the suit that Los Angeles-based 24x7digital LLC, which develops and operates the "TeachMe" series of iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch apps, transmitted personal data to a third-party analytics company, LegalNewsOnline.com reported.

The "TeachMe" series includes "TeachMe: Toddler," "TeachMe: Kindergarten," "TeachMe: 1st Grade," and "TeachMe: 2nd Grade."

Children can provide personal information on the apps when creating their player profiles -- like providing their first and last names and a picture of themselves. The lawsuit alleges that the apps then transmit that information to a third-party company without seeking consent from parents, according to the website.

"Mobile devices can capture and transmit a wealth of personal information about users, including their identities and even their geographic location," Chiesa reportedly said.

"When we find that companies are using this ability to transmit information about children without their parents' knowledge or consent, we will take immediate action. Due to the broad capabilities of these devices and the potential for abuse, we are proactively investigating mobile apps to ensure their compliance with privacy and consumer-protection laws," he said.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/popular-education-app-transmits-kids-personal-info-to-third-party-without-parental-consent-lawsuit-claims