DMA Calls Do Not Track Kids Act Unnecessary Legislation

necessary because protection for children is “already effectively provided through self-regulation,” said DMA Vice President-Government Affairs Rachel Nyswander Thomas. “Ironically, in order to enact the proposals put forth in Senator Markey’s bill, such as a ‘do not track’ button or an ‘eraser button,’ companies would have to collect more information -- not less -- about children online,” Thomas said. “Robust self-regulation is the best and most appropriate way to address privacy concerns, providing flexible, adaptive frameworks that keep pace with ever-changing technology,” she said. “DMA encourages Senator Markey and his Senate colleagues to bear in mind that children are growing up in a digital world, and increasingly their success in this global economy will depend on their ability to navigate online platforms and emerging technologies,” Thomas said. “Congressional action to unnecessarily inhibit growth in new areas of Internet innovation would be a disservice to children who benefit from richer data-driven learning experiences as they grow up in an increasingly data-driven world.” In 1998, DMA supported passage of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, participated in the FTC’s most recent update of COPPA, and continues to “support and enforce mechanisms that provide children with safe, engaging online resources,” the release said.