What is the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)?

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, also known as COPPA, is a federal law that was created in 1998 to protect the personal information of children under the age of 13. The law sets guidelines for how websites and online services can collect, use, and disclose personal information from users under the age of 13. It also requires websites and online services to provide notice and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting children’s personal information. In Massachusetts, COPPA applies to any website, online service, or mobile application (or “app”) that: (1) is directed at users under the age of 13, (2) collects, uses, or discloses personal information from users under the age of 13, or (3) collects, uses, or discloses personal information from users under the age of 13 and the website, online service, or mobile app has “actual knowledge” of such activities. Under COPPA, website and online service operators must provide clear, understandable, and complete notice of their data privacy policy. They must also obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information from users under the age of 13. Finally, the law requires website and online service operators to delete the collected personal information of users under the age of 13 upon request. COPPA is intended to protect the personal information of children under the age of 13 by providing parents with the ability to control how and when their children’s data is collected, used, and disclosed.

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