Thought Leadership / News
November 8, 2011 
 Speeches and Presentations
Online Marketing to Minors: Legal Pitfalls and Ramifications
Lawlines

In cooperation with Lawlines, Travis Crabtree presented a webinar titled "Online Marketing to Minors: Legal Pitfalls and Ramifications" on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Travis explained the Federal Trade Commission's recent guidelines on the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, at length.

If you just want the general rules of thumb, here they are:

1. Tell parents exactly what inform you collect from children and how the information is used or disclosed.
2. Obtain verifiable consent from parents prior to any data collection.
3. Invoke a mechanism that allows parents to review the specific personal information collected and provides parents an opportunity to refuse the further use of the data.
4. Only collect what is reasonably necessary to provide the service to the child.
5. Take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of the children's personal information.
6. Include a link to the FTC's website to provide tips on protecting children's privacy online: www.OnGuardOnline.gov.

Travis Crabtree, an attorney at Gray Reed & McGraw, brings a unique perspective to his internet marketing, online media and commercial litigation practice. Travis graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and spent several years in television news before taking on a law career. Travis explores the emerging legal issues and trends for internet marketing and online media on his blog, eMediaLaw.com, which you can visit by clicking here. In addition, Travis represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex business matters including cases involving defamation, open records issues, antitrust, RICO, the False Claims Act, shareholder derivatives, minority shareholder oppression, corporate officer/director fiduciary cases, partnership disputes, trade secrets, the DTPA, the UCC, employment and class actions in both state and federal court. He provides advice and counsel to clients at all stages of conflict from avoiding disputes, to alternative dispute resolution, trials and appeals.

About Gray Reed & McGraw

Founded in 1985, Gray Reed & McGraw is a full-service, Texas based law firm with more than 100 lawyers practicing in Houston, Dallas and Tyler. Gray Reed & McGraw offers a wide range of legal services including business litigation, corporate transactions, oil & gas, tax planning and litigation, real estate, healthcare, trusts and estates, employment law, family law, and bankruptcy.  For more information, visit www.grayreed.com.