[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 7, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11947-11948]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5505]
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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 312
Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule
AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Proposed ``Safe Harbor'' Guidelines and Request for
Public Comment.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission publishes this notice and request
for public comment concerning proposed self-regulatory guidelines under
the safe harbor provision of the Children's Online Privacy Protection
Rule, 16 CFR 312.10(a).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 6, 2000.
Comments will be posted on the Commission's website: http://www.ftc.gov.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: Secretary, Federal
Trade Commission, Room H-159, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20580. The Commission requests that commenters submit the original
plus five copies, if feasible. To enable prompt review and public
access, comments also should be submitted, if possible, in electronic
form, on either a 5\1/4\ or a 3\1/2\ inch computer disk, with a disk
label stating the name of the commenter and the name and version of the
word processing program used to create the document. (Programs based on
DOS or Windows are preferred. Files from other operating systems should
be submitted in ASCII text format.) Alternatively, the Commission will
accept comments submitted to the following e-mail address,
[email protected]. Individual members of the public filing comments
need not submit multiple copies or comments in electronic form. All
submissions should be captioned: ``PrivacyBot.com Safe Harbor
Proposal--Comment, P004504.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Loren G. Thompson, (202) 326-2049,
Abbe Goldstein, (202) 326-3423, or Elizabeth Delaney, (202) 326-2903,
Division of Advertising Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection,
Federal Trade Commission, 601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC
20580.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Section A. Background
On October 20, 1999, the Commission issued its final Rule pursuant
to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. 6501 et
seq.\1\ The Rule requires certain website operators to post privacy
policies, provide notice, and obtain parental consent prior to
collecting certain personal information from children. The Rule
contains a ``safe harbor'' provision enabling industry groups or others
to submit self-regulatory guidelines that would implement the
protections of the Rule to the Commission for approval.\2\
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\1\ 64 FR 59888 (Nov. 3, 1999).
\2\ See 16 CFR 312.10; 64 FR at 59906-59908; 59915.
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Pursuant to Sec. 312.10 of the Rule, PrivacyBot.com has submitted
proposed self-regulatory guidelines to the Commission for approval. The
full text of the proposed guidelines is available on the Commission's
website, www.ftc.gov.
Section B. Questions on the Proposed Guidelines
The Commission is seeking comment on various aspects of the
proposed guidelines, and is particularly interested in receiving
comment on the questions that follow. These questions are designed to
assist the public and should not be construed as a limitation on the
issues on which public comment may be submitted. Responses to these
questions should cite the numbers and subsection of the questions being
answered. For all comments submitted, please provide any relevant data,
statistics, or any other evidence, upon which those comments are based.
1. Please provide comment on any or all of the provisions in the
proposed guidelines. For each provision commented on please describe
(a) the impact of the provision(s) (including any benefits and costs),
if any, and (b) what alternatives, if any, PrivacyBot.com should
consider, as well as the costs and benefits of those alternatives.
2. Do the provisions of the proposed guidelines governing
operators' information practices provide ``the same or greater
protection for children'' as those contained in Secs. 312.2-312.8 of
the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule? Where possible, please
cite the relevant sections of both the Rule and the proposed
guidelines.
3. Are the mechanisms used to assess operators' compliance with the
guidelines effective? See Rule Sec. 312.10(b)(2).\3\ If not, please
describe (a) how the proposed guidelines could be
[[Page 11948]]
modified to satisfy the Rule's requirements, and (b) the costs and
benefits of those modifications.
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\3\ 64 FR at 59915.
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4. Are the incentives for operators' compliance with the guidelines
effective? See Rule Sec. 312.10(b)(3).\4\ If not, please describe (a)
how the proposed guidelines could be modified to satisfy the Rule's
requirements, and (b) the costs and benefits of those modifications.
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\4\ Id.
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5. Do the guidelines provide adequate means for resolving consumer
complaints? If not, please describe (a) how the proposed guidelines
could be modified to resolve consumer complaints adequately, and (b)
the costs and benefits of those modifications.
6. Please comment on the effectiveness of automation in the
proposed guidelines and describe other means or mechanisms, if any,
PrivacyBot.com should consider for its safe harbor program.
By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-5505 Filed 3-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750--01-M