We know SpongeBob SquarePants is super popular with kids -- and even some adult kids! -- but those who aren't fans can squeal for joy with news that one of the cartoon character's free iOS apps has been pulled.
The New York Times is reporting that developer PlayFirst has had one of its free iOS apps pulled from the App Store following complaints that the title violates Federal privacy protections for children.
The title in question is SpongeBob Diner Dash, a free game featuring popular cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants. According to the nonprofit Center for Digital Democracy, the game violates a children's online privacy law by collecting their email addresses and other information without first obtaining the permission of their parents.
The advocacy group filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Monday and is calling for an investigation of both PlayFirst as well as Viacom, the parent company of Nickelodeon, the network responsible for bringing us SpongeBob in the first place, claiming "deceptive marketing."
A spokesman for Nickelodeon confirmed that they were responsible for pulling the app from the App Store on Monday while the complaint was being investigated, suggesting that the issue will be fixed and the app resubmitted at some point in the future.
Meanwhile, the app description was altered to explain that the game collects “personal user data as well as nonpersonal user data,” also stating that it complied with Federal privacy protections in place for children online.
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