What information is

private and protected?

PRIVACY AND THE INTERNET

COPPA: PROTECTING
YOUR CHILDS PRIVATE
INFORMATION ONLINE
Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act
In 1998 Congress passed the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
(COPPA), which took effect in 2000. COPPA directed the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) to issue and enforce regulations concerning childrens
online privacy. The FTC issued the Childrens Online Privacy Protection
Rule, effective April 21, 2000 and amended effective on July 1, 2013.
COPPA protects the privacy information of children under the age of 13
from being collected by the operators of commercial websites and online
services. COPPA applies to operators of commercial websites and online
services that are (1) directed to children under the age of 13 that collect
childrens' personal information or (2) geared toward general audiences
when they have actual knowledge they are collecting personal
information from children under 13. COPPA also applies to operators
when they have actual knowledge they are collecting personal
information from users of another site or online service directed to kids
under 13. In certain circumstances, COPPA may apply to advertising
networks, plug-ins, and other third parties.

Name
Address
Online contact
information
A screen or user name
that functions as
online contact
information
A telephone number
A social security
A photograph, video,
or audio file, where
such file contains a
childs image or voice
Geolocation
information

What if I suspect a
COPPA violation?
If you think a web site or online
service is not complying with
COPPA, file a complaint with the
Federal Trade Commission:
FTC complaint hotline, (877)
FTCHELP, or 877-382-4357.
Online complaint form,
https://www.ftccomplaintassistan
t.gov/
By mail: Federal Trade
Commission, CRC-240,
Washington, D.C. 20580.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT COPPA
THE FEDERAL TRADE
COMMISSIONS PAGES ARE
FOUND AT

The best
protection is
HTTP://WWW.BUSINESS.FTC.GOV
parental
guidance!
/PRIVACY-ANDSECURITY/CHILDRENS-PRIVACY
OR SEARCH: WWW.FTC.GOV