Welcome to Pixalate’s CTV & Mobile App Manual Reviews According to COPPA, a series containing the detailed factors the Trust & Safety Advisory Board educators used to assess an app’s child-directedness.
The educators manually review thousands of mobile apps available in the Google Play & Apple App Stores as well as connected TV (CTV) apps from the Roku Channel Store and Amazon Fire TV App Store using the COPPA Rule factors shown below & make those results available to the public at ratings.pixalate.com.
This post takes a look at a game which is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Our reviewer discusses how the subjective factors set forth in the COPPA Rule apply to the app and factor into the reviewer's determination as to whether the app is child-directed or general audience (i.e., it is not targeting children).
The teacher will indicate the factors they relied upon in their assessment using the 10 factors shown below that reflect the 10 child-directed factors in the COPPA Rule.
The premise of the game is simple: catch as many fish as you can to make as much virtual money as you can. The money can be exchanged for developing your ability to catch fish, either by increasing the net size or increasing the depth which you can cast your line to. The controls for this are straightforward and easy for children to master: tap to cast off, and swipe left and right to catch fish as it returns to be surface. Each catch is quick and gives a satisfying return on your efforts, which is a big motivational hook for children (no pun intended!).
Adverts play at frequent intervals, on top of the optional adverts to multiply the winnings. They mostly showcase other apps and games which would appeal to children, including Angry Birds 2; a ‘friend making’ app which features a young girl; simple puzzle game Bricks and Balls; and Bee Factory, a honey-producing game.
With every catch you achieve, a virtual cash sum is added to your pot. You are then offered the chance to multiply the winnings, often by three, by watching an advert. The cash can be used to purchase a bigger fishing net, the ability to cast your line deeper, or to earn more while away from the game. The quick turnover of catches, influx of virtual cash and satisfaction of achieving a great haul of fish are all appealing to a child’s attention span.
In addition to virtual cash rewards, every now and again the user can catch a new character from a sharks mouth at the bottom of the ocean. You can then choose from your roster of seafaring folk or penguins to fish with.
Privacy
The developers’ Privacy Policy states that they do not knowingly solicit childrens information through the app, and they will endeavor to delete any child’s information if they realize that they hold it. There is no age gate or account required to play the app, and no explicit requirement to accept the Privacy Policy or Terms of Service before playing.
Screenshots of Go Fish!:
Pixalate’s Trust and Safety Advisory Board was created to bring in individuals with experience using child-directed apps in the classroom to review and assess which apps are child-directed. This manual review process serves to quality check Pixalate’s automated review process. See our full methodology for more information.
Disclaimer
This blog post published by Pixalate is available for informational purposes only and is not considered legal advice. By viewing this blog post, the reader understands and agrees that there is no attorney-client relationship between the reader and the blog publisher. The blog should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in the applicable jurisdiction(s), and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning any specific situation. The content of this blog post reflects Pixalate's opinions with respect to factors that Pixalate believes may be useful to the digital media industry. Pixalate's opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees; and this blog post is not intended to impugn the standing or reputation of any entity, person or app, but instead, to report findings pertaining to mobile and Connected TV (CTV) apps.
