Children may not be breadwinners but they certainly have a voice in how a household’s income is spent. Hence, they are eagerly courted by marketers, both on television and increasingly, online. In most cases, such wooing is relatively benign, in the form of kid-friendly content and design. Netflix, for example, just launched its “Just for Kids” section of the website, designed for better navigation for this demographic.

There is a seedier side to children’s marketing, though, and lately it has been coming under closer scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission.

PaidContent tells of the fine app-maker Broken Tumbs has agreed to pay in a settlement with the FTC over violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act: $50,000. The company reportedly collected children’s email addresses.

This is just the latest example of government picking up oversight of children’s marketing - a push that began in earnest earlier this Spring when the FTC proposed new voluntary guidelines for advertisers of food products for children - an overhaul that includes digital. This new focus is creating a backlash of sorts as publishers adjust. Earlier this year, for example, Apple made clear to developers that its iAd policy included a prohibition against running inappropriate ads - such as those for consumers goods, products children are unlikely to buy or lobby their parents to buy - in children’s app.