Technology and gaming companies in the United States may be banned from tracking children's personal data
California authorities may tighten the requirements for the protection of children’s data. Local officials have drafted a bill that prohibits technology companies headquartered in the state from tracking the personal information of children and teenagers. This may affect, for example, Meta, Google, Activision Blizzard and Riot Games.
According to the Financial Times, the bill is partly an analogue of the so-called “Children’s code” (Children’s code), adopted in the UK in 2020. The authors of the British code from the ICO participated in the development of its version for California.
It is assumed that the California project will ban online services:
- collect personal data of minors;
- track the location of children;
- target ads on them;
- in every possible way to “push” children to share information about themselves.
Infringing companies are going to be fined (or subjected to proceedings in court). Its size is not specified, but in the UK they charge up to 4% of the firm’s global turnover.
The California bill has already been supported by both parties. If the bill is passed, it will enter into force on July 1, 2024. However, the Politico portal notes that many companies may oppose the initiative, so they will not consider it for at least another month.
The negative reaction of the business was reported in particular by Beeban Kidron, a member of the House of Lords, who initially proposed an amendment to the law on data protection in the UK.
“Several technical representatives directly told me how bad the idea was [to develop a “Children’s Code”]. That trying to control California from Winslow is an act of arrogance,” she said. However, Kidron also added, “Often where California goes, the whole nation goes there. I think that’s what matters.”
Buffy Wicks, one of the authors of the bill, believes that if everything goes well, similar rules may work in other US states in the future. So far, California is the first to plan to accept them.
Nevertheless, the United States is not the only country that can launch an analogue of the British rules. Similar rules based on the “Children’s Code” are being developed in Ireland, Australia and Canada.
