Most kids are obsessed with everything Disney, be it the movies, theme park, toys or game apps. But, did you ever stop to think that maybe there is more to the extra love Mickey and friends are getting from both the young and young at heart?
The scary truth is that Walt Disney may be invading your children's privacy and violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) without your knowledge.
Amanda Rushing, a San Francisco-based mom, filed a class-action lawsuit against the entertainment company and multiple other software companies claiming that some of their apps, specifically "Disney Princess Palace Pets," has been collecting information about her daughter without obtaining parental consent.
Rushing and her team of lawyers argue that in addition to the app mentioned above, there are over 40 others that include hidden software that track both in-app and other device usage activities. Disney then allegedly sells the information to advertisers without permission.
"Most consumers, including parents of children consumers, do not know that apps created for children are engineered to surreptitiously and unlawfully collect the child-users' personal information, and then exfiltrate that information off the smart device for advertising and other commercial purposes," the lawsuit reads.
Click on the next page for the list of all the apps included in the lawsuit and steps you can take to protect the kids in your life.
Disney released a statement addressing the plaintiffs' arguments and denying all the accusations.
"Disney has a robust COPPA compliance program, and we maintain strict data collection and use policies for Disney apps created for children and families. The complaint is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of COPPA principles," the statement reads.
Even if Disney is telling the truth, there is enough doubt to convince parents, grandparents and sitters to re-consider which apps their children can use.
Here's the full list of all the apps included in the complaint:
- AvengersNet
- Beauty and the Beast
- Perfect Match
- Cars Lightening League
- Club Penguin Island
- Color by Disney
- Disney Color and Play
- Disney Crossy Road
- Disney Dream Treats
- Disney Emoji Blitz
- Disney Gif
- Disney Jigsaw Puzzle!
- Disney LOL
- Disney Princess: Story Theater
- Disney Store Become
- Disney Story Central
- Disney's Magic Timer by Oral-B
- Disney Princess: Charmed Adventures
- Dodo Pop
- Disney Build It Frozen
- DuckTales: Remastered
- Frozen Free Fall
- Frozen Free Fall: Icy Shot
- Good Dinosaur Storybook Deluxe
- Inside Out Thought Bubbles
- Maleficent Free Fall
- Miles from Tomorrowland: Missions
- Moana Island Life
- Olaf's Adventures
- Palace Pets in Whisker Haven
- Sofia the First Color and Play
- Sofia the First Secret Library
- Star Wars: Puzzle Droids
- Star WarsTM: Commander
- Temple Run: Oz
- Temple Run: Brave
- The Lion Guard
- Toy Story: Story Theater
- Where's My Water?
- Where's My Mickey?
- Where's My Water? 2
- Where's My Water? Lite/Where's My Water? Free
- Zootopia Crime Files: Hidden Object
Rushing is hoping for an injunction that bans Disney and the other companies in question from collecting and sharing data of those under the age of 13 without parental consent. She's also seeking punitive damages and legal fees.
In the meantime, you can do your part in keeping the little ones safe online by always making sure to read the fine print, check the privacy settings of all apps, turn off location and social sharing options off.
Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist at the Good Housekeeping Institute advices "parents to teach their children about what information they may be giving away when online," she adds, "Be careful with addresses, numbers, birth dates or even photos."
If you have any questions or concerns about Disney's Children's Online Privacy Policy, you can obtain more information by contacting privacycontact@disney.com or (877)466-6669.
Do your kids or grandkids use any of the apps on the list?
