After being accused by the non-profit group CDD or the Center for Digital Democracy, Nickelodeon has removed its SpongeBob Diner Dash from Apple’s App Store on Monday. The Center for Digital Democracy claims that the SpongeBob app violated a children’s online privacy law by collecting email addresses from its young players, as well other information without obtaining permission from their parents.
In a filing submitted to the Federal Trade Commission, the group urged the FTC to investigate and bring action against cable network Nickelodeon and mobile game-maker PlayFirst for deceptive marketing of the SpongeBob Diner Dash game and for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
“The SpongeBob Diner Dash game asks children to provide a wide range of personal information, including full name, email address, and other online contact information, without providing notice to parents or obtaining prior parental consent, as required by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act,” the CDD said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a Nickelodeon spokesman has confirmed to The New York Times that the app was temporarily pulled from the App Store.