VictorDawson,DebbieSpector,andMelissaZermeno

InstructorJoelJohannsen
TECH280
July14,2016
FederalPersonalInformationandOnlineProtectionLaws
Aslocaleducationalagencies(LEAs)incorporatetheuseofonlinetechnologythrough
thirdpartycommercialwebsitesandmobileapplicationstoprovideeducationalandrelated
services,concernsmustbeaddressedaboutprotectingthepersonalinformationofminorsaswell
astheirexposuretoinappropriateonlinematerial.BoththeChildrensOnlinePrivacyProtection
Act(COPPA)andtheChildrensInternetProtectionAct(CIPA)arefederallawsintheUnited
Statesdesignedtoprotectchildrenonlinefrompotentialrisks.1COPPAisprimarilyconcerned
withwhatinformationmaybecollectedfromchildrenundertheageof13bycommercial
websiteoperatorsandparentsrightstocontrolthereleaseofsuchpersonalinformation.2CIPA
addressesconcernsaboutchildrensaccesstoinappropriateorharmfulonlinematerialand
requiresLEAstoestablishandpublicizepoliciesofinternetsafetyforchildren.3
TheCOPPAwasenactedbyCongressin1998andrequiredtheFederalTrade
Commission(FTC)toregulatewhatkindofpersonalinformationcanbecollectedfromchildren
underage13bycommercialoperatingwebsitesandmobileapplications.Astechnologyhas
evolved,theFTCrevisedtheCOPPAregulationsin2013andthissecondsetofregulations
remainsinplacetothisveryday.4FTCregulationsincluderequiringcompaniestopostaclear

(2016).FeaturedOctober2015DataPrivacyGuidebookFagenFriedman...RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://www.f3law.com/downloads/COMPLETE%20Privacy%20Guidebook%2009_10_15.pdf.
2
(2015).ComplyingwithCOPPA:FrequentlyAskedQuestions|FederalTrade...RetrievedJuly13,2016,from
https://www.ftc.gov/tipsadvice/businesscenter/guidance/complyingcoppafrequentlyaskedquestions.
3
(2011).CIPAChecklistERateCentral.RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://eratecentral.com/CIPA/cipa_checklist.pdf.
4
(2014).TheHistoryofCOPPAAddressingPrivacyofKidsOnline.RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://www.coppalawattorney.com/historyofcoppa/.

privacypolicyontheirwebsiteormobileapplication,providenoticetoparents,andobtain
parentalconsentbeforecollectingpersonalinformationundertheage13.5 Theprimaryintentof
COPPAistoallowforparentalcontrolovertheinformationabouttheirchildiscollected,used,
anddisclosedfromchildren.
TheFTCestablishedaconsensusonthedefinitionofpersonalinformationthatincluded:
firstandlastnames,geolocationpoints,socialsecuritynumbers,photosandvideos,addresses,
andphonenumbers,orexamplesofidentifiablepersonalinformation.6
COPPAallowsLEAstoactonparentsbehalfinconsentingtothecollectionofstudent
personalinformationsolelyforeducationalpurposesthroughwebsites,software,andonline
servicesthatschoolsutilizelikehomeworkhelplines,individualizededucationmodules,online
researchandorganizationaltools,orwebbasedtestingservices.7Further,theFTCdeveloped
recommendedbestpracticesandinquiriesofLEAswiththeirwebsiteusageandonlineservice
contractswithsoftwarecompaniesandInternetprovidersinorderforschoolsanddistricttoact
incompliancewithCOPPA.ItisincumbentupontheLEAtoobtainparentalconsentandto
monitorthetypeofinformationcollectedandhowthisinformationisutilized,secured,and
discarded.8 ManyLEAsshareacceptableusepolicieswithparentsviaaschooldistrictswebsite
orlinksenthometoparentsatthebeginningoftheschoolyear.9

(2016).FeaturedOctober2015DataPrivacyGuidebookFagenFriedman...RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://www.f3law.com/downloads/COMPLETE%20Privacy%20Guidebook%2009_10_15.pdf.
6
(2015).ComplyingwithCOPPA:FrequentlyAskedQuestions|FederalTrade...RetrievedJuly13,2016,from
https://www.ftc.gov/tipsadvice/businesscenter/guidance/complyingcoppafrequentlyaskedquestions.
7
(2015).ComplyingwithCOPPA:FrequentlyAskedQuestions|FederalTrade...RetrievedJuly13,2016,from
https://www.ftc.gov/tipsadvice/businesscenter/guidance/complyingcoppafrequentlyaskedquestions.
8
(2016).FeaturedOctober2015DataPrivacyGuidebookFagenFriedman...RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://www.f3law.com/downloads/COMPLETE%20Privacy%20Guidebook%2009_10_15.pdf.
9
(2015).ComplyingwithCOPPA:FrequentlyAskedQuestions|FederalTrade...RetrievedJuly13,2016,from
https://www.ftc.gov/tipsadvice/businesscenter/guidance/complyingcoppafrequentlyaskedquestions.

WhileCOPPAappliestoparentalconsenttoinformationcollectionbycommercial
websitesandmobileapplications,CIPAismeanttoprotectchildrenfromobsceneorharmful
internetcontentwhileusingLEAonlinenetworks.Enactedin2000,CIPArequiresLEAsthat
receivediscountsforinternetaccessandinternalnetworkconnectionsthroughtheeRate
programtocertifytechnologyprotectionmeasuresthatblockorfilterinternetimagesthatare
obscene,childpornography,orharmfultominors.10
Beforetheseregulationscouldbeenforced,theFTCprovidedstepsforimplementation
CIPA:thePublicNoticeRequirement,thecontentofanInternetSafetyPolicy,andthe
certificationoftheInternetSafetyPolicy.First,thePublicNoticeRequirementsaysthatapublic
meetingmustbecalledbytheLEAandopentoalltodiscusstheproposedinternetpolicy.11To
certifytheinternetsafetypolicyandtoreceivediscountsfromtheErateprogram,LEAsmust
blockobsceneimagesorlanguageoffensivetominors,providelanguageinthepolicyfor
monitoringcontent,andeducateminorsonappropriatewebsurfingbehavior.Thisincludes
email,chatroomsandinstantmessaging.12Studentsmustalsosignandacceptdistrict/school
guidelinesofacceptablecomputerandInternetuse.Finally,CIPAaddressesthecontentofan
InternetSafetyPolicy.TheSafetyPolicymustaddresssixcomponents:Internetaccess,security
onelectroniccommunicationnetworks,unlawfulactivities,thedisclosureofpersonal
information,measuresthatrestrictaccesstoharmfulmaterials,andenforcement.

10

(2015).Children'sInternetProtectionAct|FederalCommunicationsCommission.RetrievedJuly14,2016,from
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrensinternetprotectionact.
11
(2016).FeaturedOctober2015DataPrivacyGuidebookFagenFriedman...RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://www.f3law.com/downloads/COMPLETE%20Privacy%20Guidebook%2009_10_15.pdf.
12
(2011).CIPAChecklistERateCentral.RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://eratecentral.com/CIPA/cipa_checklist.pdf.

References
Chapo,R.2014.TheHistoryofCOPPAAddressingPrivacyofKidsOnline.RetrievedJuly
12,2016,fromhttp://www.coppalawattorney.com/historyofcoppa/.
ERateCentral.2011.CIPAChecklistERateCentral.RetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://eratecentral.com/CIPA/cipa_checklist.pdf.
Fagen,Friedman,andFullfrost,LLC.2016.FeaturedOctober2015DataPrivacyGuidebook
FagenFriedmanRetrievedJuly12,2016,from
http://www.f3law.com/downloads/COMPLETE%20Privacy%20Guidebook%2009_10_1
5.pdf.
FederalCommunicationsCommission.2015.Children'sInternetProtectionAct|Federal
CommunicationsCommission.RetrievedJuly14,2016,from
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrensinternetprotectionact.
FederalTradeCommission.2015.ComplyingwithCOPPA:FrequentlyAskedQuestions|
FederalTradeRetrievedJuly13,2016,from
https://www.ftc.gov/tipsadvice/businesscenter/guidance/complyingcoppafrequentlyas
kedquestions.