2 in Every 5 Children’s Apps on Google Play Collects Personal Information of Kids Under 13, Violating Coppa Rules

Google Play Store Google Apps children's apps coppa violation

By Danielle Ong , Parent Herald Sep 26, 11:18 pm

Photo: (Photo : Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

More than two in five applications designed for children in the Google Play Store might not be adhering to federal rules governing the data privacy of kids.

That is according to a report released by Comparitech on Thursday. Researchers looked at 498 of the most popular apps for children currently available on Google's Play Store to determine if they comply with privacy policies set by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Under the rules, operators of websites and online services should have verifiable consent from a parent before collecting the information of young children. The websites should also have a clear privacy policy detailing their data collection practices, what information is collected, and how they will be used, among other policies.

However, the analysis found that nearly 45% of all apps had violated some provisions set by COPPA. In most of those apps, they discussed safeguarding children's information but failed to implement the appropriate measures.

In comparison, a similar study done by Comparitech study only found one of every four apps to violate COPPA. A 2022 study also pointed to one in five apps to be out of compliance.

Specific Findings

Of the apps with possible COPPA violations, 53% collected data on children under 13 without first obtaining their parents' or guardians' permission or consent. A further 15% collect personal information from children despite having no child data collection policy in place. At least 14% claim their apps are not for children but are listed under the "Everyone" age limit on Google Play.

Furthermore, the study found that all of the apps that had COPPA violations were marked as "teacher-approved." This means teachers and specialists vetted them to ensure full compliance and child safety.

What Personal Information Was Collected

The type of personal information collected by children's apps varies. IP addresses and cookies were the most commonly collected information between the apps. Other personal information collected includes online contact information, name, address, telephone number, media files, and geolocation.

The study did not provide the names of the apps that had possible COPPA violations.