COPPA: What It Means and Why Your Parent Says Yes

# COPPA: What It Means and Why Your Parent Has to Say Yes

COPPA gives parents control over what information websites can collect from their kids. But what does that really mean? Let's break it down in a way that makes sense!

What Is COPPA?

COPPA is a federal law that imposes specific requirements on operators of websites and online services to protect the privacy of children under 13. Think of it like a rulebook that websites have to follow to keep kids safe online.

The law was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1998 and took effect in April 2000. It was created because websites were collecting personal data from children without parents' actual knowledge or consent.

What Personal Information Does COPPA Protect?

Your personal information is anything that identifies you—like your name, email address, or where you live. COPPA protects children's names, nicknames, email addresses, telephone numbers, home addresses, photos, video, and audio files of the child.

It also protects things like a persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different websites or online services, and geolocation information sufficient to identify street name and name of a city or town.

Why Does Your Parent Have to Say Yes?

An operator is required to obtain verifiable parental consent before any collection, use, or disclosure of personal information from children. This means websites can't collect your information without your parent's permission first.

The primary goal of COPPA is to place parents in control over what information is collected from their young children online. Your parent is the one who decides what's okay and what's not.

How Does Your Parent Give Permission?

The COPPA Rule does not mandate the method a company must use to get parental consent. Instead, it says that an operator must choose a method reasonably designed in light of available technology to ensure that the person giving the consent is the child's parent.