Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
A Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a United States federal law that restricts the collection and use of personal information from children under the age of 13 by websites and online services.
- Context:
- It was enacted on October 21, 1998, and effective from April 21, 2000.
- It can (typically) require websites directed to children under 13 or those with actual knowledge of collecting personal data from children under this age to comply with its regulations.
- It can (typically) demand operators to include certain information in their privacy policies, seek parental consent before data collection, and impose limitations on marketing directed at children under 13.
- It can (typically) be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which also approves "safe harbor" programs offering some self-regulation for websites in compliance.
- It can (typically) subject violators to severe penalties, with fines reaching up to $50,120 per violation as of the latest adjustments.
- It can (often) be complemented by other U.S. laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for EU citizens, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and others for comprehensive data protection coverage.
- ...
- Example(s):
- YouTube was fined $170 million in 2019 for COPPA violations, demonstrating the FTC's commitment to enforcing the act and highlighting the responsibility of content creators in complying with COPPA regulations.
- Nonprofit organizations that are not subject to Section 5 of the FTC Act, or services that are not available in the U.S. and do not target minors, are exempt from COPPA requirements.
- Age verification Mechanisms approved by COPPA,
- Parental Consent Forms,
- ...
- Counter-Example(s):
- See: Privacy Policy, Data Privacy, Internet Privacy, Data Protection Laws, Online Safety for Children, Social Media.
References
2024a
- (Federal Trade Commission, 2024) ⇒ https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa Retrieved: 2024-03-24.
- QUOTE: COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.
2024b
- (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children's_Online_Privacy_Protection_Act Retrieved:2024-3-24.
- The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) is a United States federal law, located at ().
The act, effective April 21, 2000, applies to the online collection of personal information by persons or entities under U.S. jurisdiction about children under 13 years of age, including children outside the U.S. if the website or service is U.S.-based.[1] It details what a website operator must include in a privacy policy, when and how to seek verifiable consent from a parent or guardian, and what responsibilities an operator has to protect children's privacy and safety online, including restrictions on the marketing of those under 13.[2]
Although children under 13 can legally give out personal information with their parents' permission, many websites—particularly social media sites, but also other sites that collect most personal info—disallow children under 13 from using their services altogether due to the cost and work involved in complying with the law.[3] [4] [5]
An updated version of COPPA, the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, informally called COPPA 2.0, has been introduced in the 118th Congress in 2023, effectively raising the age covered by COPPA from 13 to 16 years.
- The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) is a United States federal law, located at ().
- ↑ "Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions". FTC Business Center. Federal Trade Commission. March 20, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2019. As a related matter, U.S.-based sites and services that collect information from foreign children also are subject to COPPA.
- ↑ "Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions". FTC Business Center. Federal Trade Commission. March 20, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ↑ "What age should my kids be before I let them use Instagram, Facebook, and other social media services?". Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media, Inc. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ↑ Bilton, N. (February 18, 2015). "Letting Your Kids Play in the Social Media Sandbox". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- ↑ Rochman, B. (May 24, 2011). "Should Kids Under 13 Be on Facebook?". Time. Time, Inc. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
2024c
- (ChatGPT-OpenAI, 2024) ⇒ Prompt: Summarize the concept Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in 1- 2 paragraphs. ChatGPT (model:gpt-4-turbo-preview). Retrieved: 2024-03-24.
- QUOTE: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a United States federal law, enacted in 1998, designed to protect the privacy of children under the age of 13 who are engaged in online activities. COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services that are either directed to children under 13 or have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information from children under this age. The core intention of COPPA is to give parents control over what information is collected from their young children online.
Under COPPA, websites and online service providers must obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children. They are also required to clearly post their privacy policies, provide parents with direct notice of their information practices, and afford parents the opportunity to prevent the further use or future collection of personal information from their children. COPPA is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the authority to issue regulations and enforce compliance, issuing fines and sanctions for violations. This act has significantly influenced how online content is created and managed for children, aiming to ensure safer online environments and protect children’s privacy in the digital age.
- QUOTE: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a United States federal law, enacted in 1998, designed to protect the privacy of children under the age of 13 who are engaged in online activities. COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services that are either directed to children under 13 or have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information from children under this age. The core intention of COPPA is to give parents control over what information is collected from their young children online.