Putting an end to practices that jeopardized the online safety of teenagers, New York Attorney General Letitia James has reached a settlement with Saturn Technologies, the creators of the high school-centric app Saturn. The Attorney General's office discovered that the company did not consistently verify whether its users were actual high school students, potentially exposing young users to interactions with adults posing as students. The investigation revealed a lax approach in user validation and privacy safeguards, leading to Saturn Technologies being hit with a $650,000 penalty and a mandate to overhaul its user protection protocols, as announced in a press release.
In a statement obtained by the Office of the Attorney General, Saturn Technologies initially required high school email authentication for app access but made it optional in 2021 without proper notice to its users. With more than 4,000 high schools' verification processes turned off between 2021 and 2023, any individual could join the app, accessing students' schedules and personal data. The company also failed to properly screen new users' ages until August 2023, going against the app's promise of being an exclusive platform for high schoolers.
Attorney General James highlighted the duality of the Saturn app, which on one hand provides a functional school-related digital environment for students but on the other hand left them vulnerable to potential online threats. "The Saturn App helps students stay up to date with school-related events, sports, exams, and homework, but it failed to protect young users' safety and privacy," James said. “Saturn Technologies should have strictly verified users to ensure that they were actually high school students and should have made sure students were interacting with others in their high school, not strangers. With this settlement, Saturn Technologies will have to update its practices, better protect users, and keep its promises. My top priority is always to stand up for New Yorkers’ safety, especially when it comes to vulnerable youth.” The app's inadequacies came under scrutiny when it was found to employ untested verification methods, such as user acceptance into high school communities based on minimal contacts in phone books or single user "friend" confirmations, as per the Office of the Attorney General.
As part of the settlement terms detailed in the press release, Saturn Technologies is now tasked with correcting its course. They must not only inform current users about the changes to its verification process but also offer enhanced privacy options for users under 18, like the ability to hide social media accounts from non-friends. Ensuring user safety, the company will require underage users to revisit their privacy settings every six months. Furthermore, Saturn is prohibited from making any claims about user safety or verification methods unless they have solid scientific evidence to back them up.
This settlement underscores Attorney General James' ongoing efforts to protect children in digital spaces, adding to her advocacy for the Kids Online Safety Act and her involvement in legal action against social media giants such as TikTok for their impact on children's mental health. By holding companies like Saturn Technologies accountable, the Attorney General's office sends a clear message: young users' privacy is not to be taken lightly. The case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Gena Feist and Deputy Bureau Chief Clark Russell, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Kim Berger, a part of the Division for Economic Justice, demonstrating the office's commitment to safeguarding the digital welfare of New York's youth.
