General Mills accused of collecting data from kids - Bring Me The News

General Mills accused of collecting data from kids

General Mills is coming under fire by nearly 20 children’s advocacy, health and public interest groups for violating a federal law to protect children's privacy, the New York Times reports. The coalition claims five well-known companies, including the Golden Valley-based cereal maker, are encouraging kids, who play games or use other features on their websites, to provide email addresses of their friends without seeking parental consent.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Publish date:: Aug 22, 2012

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General Mills is coming under fire by nearly 20 children’s advocacy, health and public interest groups for violating a federal law to protect children's privacy, the New York Times reports. The coalition claims five well-known companies, including the Golden Valley-based cereal maker, are encouraging kids, who play games or use other features on their websites, to provide email addresses of their friends without seeking parental consent.

Two sites operated by General Mills, TrixWorld.com and ReesesPuffs.com, are among six cited by the advocacy groups in a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission. Sites by McDonald's, Nickelodeon and Subway are also included.

A General Mills spokesperson said the company follows approved practices. Other defenders said that the law includes an exception for one-time "tell-a-friend" marketing.

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General Mills cereal

Minnesota-based General Mills and Nestlé SA will cut sugar and salt in the children's breakfast cereals they jointly market outside North America, which is the latest attempt by major food companies to respond to health concerns, Reuters reports.

Golden Valley-based General Mills will start shipping more than three dozen new yogurt products next month as it tries to revitalize its U.S. yogurt business. Some of the new items include a 100-calorie Yoplait Greek yogurt and Yoplait Fruplait.

The Twin Cities man who gained national television attention earlier this month for setting a box of Cheerios on fire outside General Mills headquarters in Golden Valley, has died of a heart attack. Michael L. Leisner, 65, of Andover, staged his one-man protest over the cereal maker's support for same-sex marriage.

Attorneys for General Mills Inc. pleaded their case in front of a federal judge on Friday over claims that its Yoplait Greek-style yogurt is neither Greek nor yogurt. The Golden Valley-based company asked U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson to throw out the consumer fraud lawsuit, which was filed by Minneapolis law firm Zimmerman Reed.

The Golden Valley-based company came out Thursday to voice its opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Minnesota. "We do not believe the proposed constitutional amendment is in the best interests of our employees or our state economy -- and as a Minnesota-based company we oppose it," General Mills said in a statement. The Pioneer Press notes General Mills and Little Canada-based St. Jude Medical are the only two major corporations in Minnesota to publicly oppose the marriage amendment.

Target Corp. is among the retailers making donations as relief efforts continue in response to the destruction caused Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast. The Minneapolis-based retailer is donating $500,000 in funds and products. Golden Valley-based General Mills is also contributing $250,000 to the recovery efforts.

Golden Valley-based General Mills Inc. says that its fiscal first-quarter profit went up 35 percent, with acquisitions lifting sales, the Associated Press reports. The results in the latest quarter were aided by the food maker's purchase of a controlling stake in Yoplait International and Food Should Taste Good, a natural snack foods company.