The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act - COPPA

The Children's Online Privacy Act or COPPA was put together by the Federal Trade Commission FTC and applies to the online collection of personal information from children under the age of 13. The Privacy Act indicates what a website owner/operate must include in a privacy policy and how they must go about gaining verifiable consent from a parent or guardian. It also outlines what responsibilities the website owner/operator has in protecting children's privacy and safety online. If your children are using websites that collect information personal information, look for the Privacy Policy that should be located on the main page of the website, or of the page requesting the information. Read the policy to get a feel for what kind of information is being gather, how it will be used, and whether it will be given to third parties or not. If you are not comfortable with the policy, contact the company with your questions and concerns.