Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement with California app developer Juxta Labs, Inc. for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act. Juxta Labs signed an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), approved by the Travis Country District Court, agreeing not to collect personal information from any child under the age of 13. The AVC prohibits the company from allowing children to use their apps if those apps are not compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

 

Under the terms of the AVC, Juxta Labs must screen enrollments to ensure children under 13 cannot use their services if personal information is being collected, delete all personal information of children under 13 it has custody or control of, and pay $30,000 to the State of Texas.

 

Juxta Labs owns and operates mobile apps for games and social media that were previously easy for children of any age to access. Many of the company’s apps offered free children’s games which generate revenue from advertisements and in-app purchases. Personal information was transmitted over these apps, including internet protocol addresses and GPS coordinates, which could be used to pinpoint a child’s location. 

 

To view the AVC, click here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/files/epress/Juxta_Labs_02_AVC_093016.pdf?cachebuster:72