FTC Unveils New Online Privacy Rules for Children

"Be a responsible parent" is not one of them

US regulators unveiled new rules Wednesday aimed at strengthening online privacy protection for children, to reflect the growing use of mobile apps and social networks.

The Federal Trade Commission said its updated rules require online services to get consent from parents if they are aimed at children under 13 or know that they are collecting personal information from young children.

But FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz said the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act would not include stricter proposals which would have made companies liable for "plug-ins" such as the Facebook "like" button or Twitter's "tweet" button.