U.S. sues Sony Music over children’s online privacy
Sony BMG, which is changing its name to Sony Music Entertainment, was sued on Wednesday by the U.S. government, which accused the music company of violating federal rules aimed at protecting the online privacy of children. The music company improperly accepted registrations on its music websites from users who were under 13, without obtaining consent from their parents, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
The civil suit, which seeks unspecified monetary penalties, said Sony Music was in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan. A Sony BMG executive told Reuters that the litigation is in the process of being resolved, with the company agreeing to pay a fine of $1 million, to put in place a screening process that complies with the FTC rules and hire a Web compliance officer to monitor the issue.
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