CARU Recommends Rovio Modify Privacy Policy to Better Disclose Actual Practices, Company Said It Will Do So

New York, NY –  March 2, 2016  – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit has recommended that Rovio, developer of The Star Wars Angry Birds App I and II and Angry Birds Rio App, modify its privacy policy to better disclose the company’s actual privacy practices. The company said it will do so.

CARU is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation. It is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

CARU monitors websites and web services for compliance with CARU’s Self-Regulatory Program for Children’s Advertising, including guidelines on Online Privacy Protection, as well as with the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

Upon its initial review, the privacy policy for the apps referenced a “Tell a Friend” feature and stated the following:

“1. How We Collect Your Data

Likely situations when you make personal data available to Rovio include, but are not limited to… (vi) using “Tell a Friend…”

Friends

If you choose to use Rovio’s “Tell a Friend” or a similar service about Rovio Services or order a gift certificate for your friend, Rovio may store your friend’s name and contact details that you provide to Rovio. [Emphasis added]The advertising at issue came to the attention of CARU through a consumer complaint.”
In response to CARU’s inquiry, Rovio immediately informed CARU that it did not actually operate a “Tell a Friend” feature in any jurisdiction, and was also not planning to operate any such feature in the U.S. prospectively.  Rovio stated that in the event that such a feature were made available in the U.S., Rovio would be sure to place it behind a COPPA compliant age screen.

CARU noted its appreciation for the company’s response.