Mattel, Hasbro And Other Children's Companies Violate COPPA, Fines Total $835,000

A two-year investigation led by the New York Attorney General’s Office found websites owned by Viacom, Inc. VIA VIAB, Mattel, Inc. MAT, Hasbro, Inc. HAS and JumpStart permitted third-party data tracking from vendors and marketers, thereby violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

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Under COPPA, entities are not allowed to track data, including personal information and cookies, via websites geared toward children. On the other hand, it is permissible to track consumer-related data from websites targeted toward adults, because it is assumed such individuals have an understanding of data gathering. According to a New York Attorney General’s Office representative, “Adults are cognitively more mature about the quid pro quo of visiting a site.”

Combined, the companies at fault will pay $835,000 for failing to comply with COPPA.