Peter Swire, senior counsel in Alston & Bird’s Privacy & Data Security Group and Georgia Institute of Technology Scheller College of Business professor was quoted in International Business Times regarding privacy compliance concerns for the soon-to-be rating app “Peeple.” The app, nicknamed “Yelp for Humans” by the media, will allegedly allow users to review other people without having to obtain permission to create a profile on their behalf. In addition, the user will be asked to enter a cell phone number for the person for whom they are creating a profile.
There are multiple red flags that come up with privacy professionals about this app, including violations of Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act if the app does not ensure that information about minors is not shared or collected by the site, Swire pointed out. “If there is no opt-out mechanism even for the phone numbers of children, then I believe the company could gain careful attention from regulators,” he said.