CARU Strikes Again: Another Mixed-audience App Settles Over COPPA Allegations

The Children's Advertising Review Unit recently found that Tilting Point Media violated COPPA and CARU's Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Advertising and for Children's Online Privacy. Tilting Point is the operator of the SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off app. The case arose as part of CARU's routine monitoring of child directed content.

CARU determined that the app was a "mixed audience" app, meaning that it was directed to both adults and children under 13. In making this determination, CARU took into account a variety of factors, including the fact that Spongebob Squarepants is appealing to children, as well as the app's use of music and animation that is also appealing to children.