Only 104 out of 440 iPad apps aimed at kids include a link to a privacy policy in their App Store promotion pages, according to the results of a study conducted this month by Kids Best iPad Apps, a site which offers video reviews of iPad apps designed for kids. To compound matters, these links did not always connect to a privacy policy; in some instances, they merely linked to a website without one.

The study looked at 440 iPad apps aimed at kids that have been reviewed on the Kids Best iPad Apps site. Each apps promotion page was checked on the App Store. If a privacy policy link was listed in the App Store, the link was followed to determine if it led to a privacy policy.

The Federal Trade Commission recently expanded its Childrens Online Privacy Policy Act (COPPA) to apps. This rule puts procedures in place requiring companies to get parental approval before collecting online information from kids under 13. But the act does not come into effect until July.

“When I contacted developers about this issue, I found they are so busy creating the next great kids app, they havent even thought about a privacy policy,” said Kids Best iPad Apps CEO, Mitchell Cogert. “This seems especially true with developers outside the US.”

Kids Best iPad Apps has created a logo to highlight apps that have a privacy policy. The logo is prominently displayed on the app review pages, and links to the apps privacy policy.

Simon Bates, head of policy and initiatives at trade body MEF, said it’s vital that parents understand what information is collected by the apps their kids are using and why. “Right now, that’s not a straightforward process, which is why MEF is working on tools that make it easy for developers to explain at a glance how consumers’ privacy might be affected,” said Bates. “That way, app providers can show they have nothing to hide and start to build trust in what they’re doing.”