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 from the 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.
Fast like a Fox is an endless running game, where players can run a fox avatar through different landscapes. Players can control the speed of the fox by tapping their device and must jump over obstacles to collect coins and gems.
The graphics are fairly simple, mostly made up of geometric shapes. The animated fox is a neutral design that appeals to both children and adults. As players advance through the game, different backgrounds and settings are given for the fox to run through. The dramatic landscapes are not overly childish, further strengthening the mixed audience appeal of the app.
There is limited language used within the app. Upon playing for the first time images are shown to explain how to play, allowing children who can’t read the ability to navigate and play the game independently.
Gems and coins can be found throughout the course. Players can collect them by running through or jumping to collect them. Players can opt to repeat a level if they finish without collecting all the coins and gems that were available.
As levels are passed, new settings and characters are unlocked, encouraging players to continue playing.
Upbeat music plays during gameplay, encouraging players to increase the speed of their running fox. Dings can be heard each time the fox collects a coin or gem.
There are no ads or in-app purchases for this game.
Fast Like a Fox is rated E in the US Google Play Store. It has a “Teacher Approved” sticker, indicating that it is a high-quality app recommended for children.
The reviews suggest a mixed audience, with reviews indicating that both adults and children are playing and enjoying the game.
Privacy
According to the privacy policy, Fast Like a Fox is no longer being actively updated or developed. The developers indicate that they have never collected personal data and that they no longer collect any analytical information.
Screenshots of Fast like a Fox
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.
