According to the latest report, Angry Birds developer Rovio Entertainment was recently sued by the Attorney General of New Mexico, accusing the company of collecting and selling personal data of children under 13 years of age. In a federal lawsuit filed last Wednesday, Attorney General Hector Balderas accused Rovio of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Allegedly, part of the reason for this is that Angry Birds is marketed to young device users.
COPPA requires companies to obtain the permission of their parents before collecting any personal information from children under 13 years of age. In popular services for all age groups, companies must also take measures to ensure that they do not collect data from users of that age group. According to Jurist reports, Balderas accused Rovio of actively targeting young children, including through the sale of in-game merchandise, out-of-game media, and merchandise.
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Balderas continues to accuse Rovio of surveilling their personal information by sneaking into children’s personal information when they play Angry Birds, and then use this personal information for commercial development to achieve monetization. By selling this data to a third-party marketing company, Rovio harmed children in New Mexico, undermined their parents’ ability to protect children and their privacy, and violated state and federal laws.
The state government requires the court to issue a permanent injunction against Rovio to prevent future violations and remedy continuing problems of the law, representing damages and compensation for residents of the state, civil penalties, and punitive damages, as well as legal fees and Any other relief provided by the court. Balderas said in a statement: New Mexico will always hold companies responsible for endangering children’s safety.
