New York – The New York Attorney General’s Office has announced a $650,000 settlement with Saturn Technologies over allegations of serious privacy breaches in their teen-oriented app. Saturn’s app, designed for high school students to organize and communicate, was found to have failed to verify users’ ages and school affiliations properly, allowing potential predators access to personal information.
Saturn Technologies initially claimed that the app, known as Saturn, limited interactions to verified high school students within the same school. However, the OAG investigation revealed a different reality. The company did not strictly verify users’ ages and school emails, leading to interactions between students from different schools. This settlement requires Saturn to update its verification processes and better safeguard young users.
Attorney General Letitia James emphasized the importance of protecting youth in her statement: “Saturn Technologies should have strictly verified users to ensure they were actually high school students. With this settlement, Saturn Technologies will now have to update its practices and keep its promises.”
The OAG investigation found that Saturn made email-based verification optional in 2021, without informing users or modifying its safety promises. Furthermore, the company turned off user verification for over 4,000 high schools between 2021 and 2023. The investigation also revealed unproven methods of user verification, including checking phone contact books or accepting as few as one “friend” on the app.
James pointed out that Saturn Technologies’ practices were not just a breach of privacy but also posed safety risks to young users: “The Saturn App helps students stay up-to-date with school events, but it failed to protect their safety and privacy.”
This settlement sends a strong message about the consequences of failing to uphold privacy standards for young users in the digital age. Saturn Technologies must now implement robust verification processes and demonstrate a commitment to protecting youth online.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: NY AG
- Category: Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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