The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was
passed by Congress in October 1998, with a requirement that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issue and enforce rules
concerning children's online privacy. The primary goal of the Act and the Rule is to place parents in control over
what information is collected from their children online. The Rule was designed to be strong, yet flexible, to protect
children while recognizing the dynamic nature of the Internet.
- The COPPA Rule applies to operators of commercial websites and online services directed to children under 13
that collect personal information from children, and operators of general audience sites with actual knowledge
that they are collecting information from children under 13.
- Those operators must:
- post clear and comprehensive Privacy Policies on the website describing their information practices
for children's personal information;
- provide notice to parents, and with limited exceptions, obtain verifiable parental consent before
collecting personal information from children;
- give parents the choice to consent to the operator's collection and use of a child's
information while prohibiting the operator from disclosing that information to third parties;
- provide parents access to their child's personal information to review and/or have it deleted;
- give parents the opportunity to prevent further collection or use of the information;
- maintain the confidentiality, security, and integrity of information they collect from children.
- In addition, the Rule prohibits operators from conditioning a child's participation in an online
activity on the child's providing more information than is reasonably necessary to participate in that activity.
For more information, go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/adults.htm
Source: www.ftc.gov
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