A broad coalition of child advocacy, health, consumer, and privacy groups is urging the Federal Trade Commission to update and clarify its children’s online privacy rules to ensure the continued effectiveness of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the contemporary digital marketplace. In formal comments submitted to the Commission, the groups called for a number of specific changes in the COPPA rules designed to address the growth of mobile phones, interactive games, and more sophisticated tracking and targeting technologies...“For the past decade, COPPA has served as an effective safeguard for young consumers in the online marketing environment, establishing a clear set of rules of the road that have helped guide the development of children’s digital culture,” explained Prof. Kathryn C. Montgomery of American University, who led the campaign to enact the legislation during the 90s. “Though the law took effect in the early formative period of Internet marketing, it was purposely designed to adapt to changes in both technology and business practices, with periodic reviews by the FTC to keep the rules up-to-date. With the changes called for in these comments, COPPA will continue to ensure that children reap the benefits of the digital age without compromising their privacy, safety, and wellbeing.”...In addition to the Center for Digital Democracy, the organizations filing the comments today included the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Benton Foundation, Berkeley Media Studies Group, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Children Now, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Consumer Watchdog, National Consumers League, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Public Health Institute, U.S. PIRG, and World Privacy Forum. [excerpt from release via www.democraticmedia.org