California Attorney General Rob Bonta has revealed a $1.4 million settlement with the mobile gaming firm Jam City, Inc. This comes after state investigators discovered that the company breached the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by not providing users with an option to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information.
Jam City, known for its popular mobile games linked to franchises like Frozen, Harry Potter, and Family Guy, earns revenue in part by sharing user data with advertising partners. However, the Department of Justice reported that none of the company’s 21 gaming applications included CCPA-compliant opt-out mechanisms, even though they primarily collect and disclose personal information through these apps.
Additionally, investigators found that certain Jam City games sold or shared data belonging to children aged 13 to 16 without obtaining the affirmative opt-in consent mandated by California law, which offers extra protections for minors.
“Even on apps, California law obligates companies to provide a way for consumers to opt out of the sale and sharing of their personal data,” Bonta said. “This process should be simple, transparent and easy to navigate.”
As part of the settlement, Jam City is required to establish in-app features that enable users to decline the sale or sharing of their data. The company is not allowed to sell or share personal information of consumers aged 13 to 16 without obtaining explicit consent.
This agreement represents the sixth enforcement action taken under the CCPA. It comes after recent settlements with Sling TV, Healthline Media, Tilting Point Media, DoorDash, and Sephora regarding different data-privacy infractions, which are part of an expanding enforcement initiative aimed at “location data, streaming apps and devices, and employee information.”
