Safeguards Against Tracking Children Online (S. 1700)

What is S. 1700?

(Updated May 5, 2017)

Prohibits collecting personal information for marketing purposes from children and minors via online applications and mobile applications. Establishes additional privacy protections against the collection of personal or geolocation information from children and minors. 

Argument in favor

Children and minors cannot effectively judge the safety and legitimacy of those trying to contact them.

Argument opposed

Children and minors are consumers, too, and there's no proof that targeted marketing harms them.

Impact

Impacts online marketers' ability to market toward those 16 and under.

Cost of S. 1700

A CBO cost estimate is not available at this time.

Additional Info

Media: 
Wall Street Journal 

Of Note:

-According to a 2010 study by the Wall Street Journal, websites directed to children and teens were more likely to use cookies and other tracking tools than sites directed to a general audience. The study examined 50 popular websites for children and teens in the United States and found that these 50 sites placed 4,123 cookies, beacons, and other tracking tools on the test computer used for the study.This is 30 percent greater than the number of such tracking tools that were placed on the test computer in a similar study of the 50 overall most popular websites in the United States, which are generally directed to adults.

-According to Common Sense Media and the Center for Digital Democracy, 91% of adults believe it is not okay for advertisers to collect information about a child’s location from that child’s mobile phone.

-The House's companion bill is HR 3481.