What Is COPPA?

Date First Published: 23rd September 2023

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Legislation & User Data Protection

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

Specifications

Learn about what COPPA is in this article.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a piece of US legislation that protects the privacy of children under the age of 13 by imposing specific requirements on operators of websites and online services. The act took effect on 21st April 2000 and was revised in 2013. It applies to commercial websites and online services that are directed at children.

COPPA was passed in response to the increasing awareness of online marketing techniques that targeted children and collected their personal information without any parental consent and the lack of websites with their own privacy policies. Consent is only required before collection if the information can be considered sensitive.

This act increases parental involvement in children's online activities, ensures their safety when taking part in online activities, and protects their personal information, including their first and last name, home or other physical address, telephone number, social security number, photos and videos of them, and geographical location information.

Specifications

COPPA specifies:

Websites and online services require parental permission for collecting and using any personal information of children under the age of 13. Although children under 13 can provide personal information with their parent's permission, most well-known platforms, particularly social media sites that collect personal information, do not allow anyone under 13 to create an account due to the cost and work involved.
When and how to seek consent from a parent or guardian. The organisation must take verifiable steps to verify that the parent/guardian is the one providing consent, which is done by a form of identity verification, such as verifying a picture of a driver’s licence or other photo identification submitted by the parent.
The legal responsibilities the operator of a website holds regarding children's privacy and safety online. This includes restrictions on the types and methods of marketing targeting children under the age of 13.
What must be included in a privacy policy. This includes the requirement that the policy itself can be posted anywhere data is collected. A right to deny consent and have information deleted.
Limited collection of personal information when a child takes part in online games and contests.
Websites and online services should make reasonable efforts to provide a privacy notice to the parents about collecting their children's personal data.
A requirement to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of any personal information that is collected online from children.