McDonalds, General Mills Violating Children’s Online Privacy?
Consumer advocacy groups are urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate five companies– McDonald’s, General Mills, Turner Broadcasting, Viacom, and Doctor’s Associates’—for allegedly violating children’s privacy laws in their online marketing campaigns.
According to the report filed by 16 media and youth advocacy groups, children-facing websites from these companies illegally solicit personal information such as email addresses and photos from children under 13. Under the 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) it is illegal to solicit personal information from under-13’s without “sufficient notice of the information collection” or “verifiable parental consent for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information from children.”
One example the advocates provided was McDonald’s HappyMeal.com website, which lets children upload photos to create and share their own music video. The groups allege McDonald’s hasn’t adopted enough measures to protect its database of children’s information from possible breaches.
Many of these sites also use “refer-a-friend marketing” or viral marketing, in which a company asks a child to enter friends’ email addresses.
If your child had his or her privacy rights violated, you are urged to contact the law offices of Audet & Partners at 800.965.1461 to speak to an attorney. The call is free, and there is no obligation. You may also email us by using the simple form that appears on the right-hand side of this page.
Act now, as delays can harm your case.
On the other hand, if you fail to protect your legal rights now, you may lose the right to be compensated for your harm. (Persons seeking to preserve any potential legal claims should contact an attorney promptly, since all states have mandatory time periods in which lawsuits must be filed with the courts; otherwise, they may be forever barred.)
Our firm has a great deal of experience in representing plaintiffs in “privacy” cases, and have litigated cases against some of the world’s largest companies online brands.
In addition, we have the resources to handle our own cases. This means that when you call our firm, you talk to your own lawyer who has been assigned to your own case.
The secure form on the right only takes a couple of minutes to fill out, but if you are uncomfortable sending your information over the internet, please call our toll-free number at 800.965.1461 to immediately speak to an attorney. The call is free and there is no obligation.
Important Notice
Persons seeking to preserve any potential legal claims should contact an attorney promptly, since all states have mandatory time periods in which lawsuits must be filed with the courts; otherwise, they may be forever barred.
About Our Firm
Audet & Partners, LLP represents individuals, governmental entities, small businesses and institutional shareholders in product liability, tort, negligence, consumer, construction defect, investment fraud, securities, insider trading, antitrust, environmental, whistle blower, aviation and employment cases. In recognition of their outstanding abilities and commitment to the legal profession over the years, the firm and its members have served as Court-appointed Plaintiffs’ Counsel in dozens of federal and state cases throughout the United States.
