What Is COPPA?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, commonly known as COPPA, is a law dealing with how websites, apps, and other online operators collect data and personal information from children under the age of 13. Here are some quick details on the ins and outs of COPPA that will set you up for success.

COPPA is a US law that has become a benchmark for global regulations

• It does NOT govern the use of children's data
• It DOES place the responsibility for the use of children's data on the parents

Complying with COPPA sets you up to comply with GDPR and other international regulations.

COPPA applies to you if:

1. Your app is for kids under the age of 13 and you collect information from them
2. Your app is for kids under the age of 13 and you partner with a third party that collects information from them
3. You know that you have kids under the age of 13 using your app, even when your app isn't in the kids category or is for a general audience

Personal information under COPPA means many things such as, social security number, name, address, geolocation (regardless of how detailed), and unique identifiers like IP addresses or emails.

The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC)Six-Step COPPA Compliance Plan

1. Establish that you are subject to COPPA
2. Write a COPPA-compliant privacy policy that's easy to access
3. Notify parents directly about data collection practices
4. Get verifiable consent; choose something practical like a credit card or photo ID
5. Respect parents' ongoing rights
6. Protect children's data

Check out other Data Protocol Courses:

• Data Regulations
• TL;DR GDPR