Angry Birds developer Rovio angers judge over alleged sale of data of children under 13

       On the morning of August 30, Rovio Entertainment, which has released well-known games such as "Angry Birds", was recently sued by the New Mexico Attorney General, accusing the company of collecting and selling personal data of children under the age of 13.

　　Attorney General Hector Balderas filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging that Rovio violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Balderas accused Rovio of "aggressively targeting young children" with sales of in-game merchandise and other merchandise.

　　COPPA requires companies to get parental permission before collecting any personal information about children under 13. On mass-market services that cater to all ages, companies must also take steps to ensure they are not collecting data from users under that age.

　　The attorney general also accused Rovio of "secretly disclosing children's personal information" while playing Angry Birds and "then commercially exploiting that personal information" to monetize child users' data. By selling that data to third-party marketing companies, Rovio "endangered New Mexico children, undermined parents' ability to protect their children and their privacy, and violated state and federal law."

　　The state is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction against Rovio to prevent future violations, as well as civil penalties and punitive damages, legal fees and any other costs.

　　Balderas said in a statement that New Mexico "will always hold companies accountable for any threats to child safety."