The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) developed new rules to protect children online. They took officially effect on July 1, 2013. The FTC’s amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) provide stronger safeguards for kids, including the requirement that a website may not collect personal information from a child under the age of 13 until it gets verified consent from the child’s parent.
Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, is pleased with the new rules. Delara Derakhshani, policy counsel for Consumers Union, said: “These are important new tools for parents and children. The ways that children use the Internet have changed enormously since COPPA became law in 1998 and took effect in 2000. Kids engage in online media at earlier ages, and companies have greater access to children’s personal information through social networks, mobile apps, and gaming. The new rules put stronger protections in place that are aimed at a wider variety of digital media. They help bring much-needed clarity to what’s considered ‘personal information,’ as well as the rights and responsibilities for parents to protect their children.”
Within a new guide for parents called “Protecting Your Child’s Privacy Online” the FTC explains what COPPA is, how it works and what parents can do to help protect their children’s privacy online. Apart from that, the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) also published a guide to help parents understand and use the new rules.
More information:
FTC guide: Protecting Your Child’s Privacy Online
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0031-protecting-your-childs-privacy-online
CDD Guide: The New Children’s Online Privacy Rules. What Parents Need to Know
Source: FTC