What is COPPA and Why Should I Care?

As parents, we worry about every aspect of our kids’ lives, especially when they’re out of our sight. We wonder who they’re with, if they’re being safe, and if they’re being too trusting. For most of us, we don’t breathe a sigh of relief until they walk through the door, safe and sound.

But what about when they’re hanging out with us in the kitchen, playing on the laptop, or they’re upstairs in their bedroom with their friends, gathered around an iPad? They’re safe, right? Well, that all depends on the sites they’re visiting. Let’s face it: we all know how easy it is to take a wrong turn on the Internet and end up on a questionable site that suddenly tries to engage you.

Despite warnings at home and at school, it’s still possible that a trusting child under 13 may think that sharing her name, age and other personal info on a website isn’t a big deal. We parents know better. That said, how many of us actually know how to a identify a kid-friendly site that is truly safe?

If that last question made you pause, you’re not alone. So let’s talk about kids’ safety online, starting with updates to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and what you should look for in kid-safe websites.

What, exactly, is COPPA?
According to OnGuardOnline.gov, “The COPPA Rule was put in place to protect kids’ personal information on websites and online services — including apps — that are directed to children under 13. The Rule also applies to a general audience site that knows it’s collecting personal information from kids that age.”

Originally passed in 1998, COPPA went into effect in April of 2000. In December 2012, COPPA was updated with changes that went into effect on July 1, 2013. As the Bureau of Consumer Protection notes, “The primary goal of COPPA is to place parents in control over what information is collected from their young children online. The Rule was designed to protect children under age 13 while accounting for the dynamic nature of the Internet.”

It’s important to point out that COPPA doesn’t control what content your kids can access online, like pornography. It only dictates what personal information commercial websites (including mobile apps) and online services can collect from children under 13. So, for example, if a site has questionable content (such as nudity) but doesn’t require site visitors to give any personal identification, COPPA does NOT apply.

How is COPPA enforced?
COPPA is a rule that the operators of commercial websites and online services geared towards children under 13 must follow. Operators who violate COPPA are subject to civil penalties (as much as $16,000 per violation). The FTC vets complaints from consumers and industry watchdog groups alike. According to the FTC, “Information about the FTC’s COPPA enforcement actions can be found by clicking on the Case Highlights link in the FTC’s Business Center.”

How does it work in reality — what will my kids and I have to do on a COPPA compliant site?
If a site requires personal information from children under 13, a parent or legal guardian will be required to give verifiable parental consent. The verifiable parental consent works as a safeguard, since the accepted verification methods are ones that would be difficult for a child to fake.

For example, if your child wants to sign up for Club Z from FPgirl, she needs to provide an email address (so that we can email her about upcoming surveys and contests). BUT an email is considered personal information, so if your child is under 13, an email notice will go to YOU first, alerting you that your daughter wants to sign up. In order to sign her up, YOU will need to provide verifiable parental consent before we can collect and save her email address.

Sites have several options they can use when it comes to obtaining verifiable parental consent. At Club Z by FPgirl, for example, parents can provide verification by providing one of the following:

• the last 4 digits of an adult’s social security number
• a driver’s license number
• a physical form with an adult’s contact information and physical signature
• verbal consent over the phone to a trained professional,
• a valid credit card (meaning we charge $1 to make sure the credit card is legit and then issue an immediate refund)

While we understand that these extra steps can feel burdensome in the short term, we do believe these steps go a long way in keeping children and their personal information safe.

How can I tell if a website is COPPA compliant?
COPPA compliant sites will likely be VERY open and obvious about the fact that they’re following COPPA. Because COPPA requires due diligence and careful backend setup, compliant sites are usually quite happy to show parents how they’re following the letter of the law.

Things that you should be able to easily find on COPPA-compliant sites:

• Clear, easy-to-access privacy policy. In fact, many sites will have a section devoted to parents. These sections tend to go into great depths on the privacy policy, verifiable parental consent, and COPPA. Here’s the FPgirl privacy policy.
• A privacy policy that’s written in easy-to-understand language. It’s not enough for the privacy policy to simply be available; it should also be easy for people to read and follow. The privacy policy should outline what info is being collected, how it’s being used, and how the site is keeping the info secure.
• Visual seals that indicate certified compliance, such as the Privo Privacy Certified program.
• An easy and obvious way for you to review your kids’ account/profile. Remember, one of the main goals of COPPA is to put parents in control, so you should be able to review your children’s information (but be aware that the site operators will need to confirm YOUR identity before granting you access to your child’s info).

Bottom line: trust your gut. If a site seems “off,” trust your instinct. Do a Google search on the company and see if anything pops. Talk to fellow parents. When in doubt, don’t give your consent.

What if I’ve found a website that doesn’t appear to be playing by the rules?
Anyone who feels a website or online service is in violation of COPPA can submit complaints through the FTC website or toll free number, (877) FTC-HELP.

Where can I learn more about COPPA?
The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has an extensive FAQs section for parents and website operators alike. You can check out the FTC’s COPPA FAQ here. Another great site that’s written in layman’s terms is OnGuardOnline.gov.