The Law That Protects Your Child’s Privacy Online

WHAT IS COPPA?

• COPPA stands for the “Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act”
• It is a U.S. federal law enforced by the Federal Trade Commission
• Its purpose is to give parents control over their children’s privacy online
• COPPA imposes special legal obligations on websites, mobile apps, tablets, and other similar technologies designed for children under the age of 13

HOW DOES COPPA WORK?

• With some exceptions, COPPA requires companies to get a parent’s verified permission (such as through a credit card transaction, customer support phone call, or other legal method) before collecting or using a child’s personal information online
• “Personal information” includes a child’s name, home address, email address, phone number, picture, voice recording, physical location, and certain unique identifiers (like device ID)
• Without a parent’s prior permission, COPPA prohibits certain types of online advertising,community forums, and social networking features
• COPPA also requires companies to post a privacy policy and to keep children’s data secure

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A PARENT OR GUARDIAN?

• Under the COPPA law, you can ask a company to delete or stop using your child’s personal information at any time
• Carefully review each company’s privacy policy before allowing your child to share any personal information with that company
• Look for third-party certifications, such as the kidSAFE+ PRIVACY Seal (shown below), to verify that your child is interacting with a COPPA-compliant brand

Visit kidsafeseal.com to learn more.