Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a U.S. federal law enacted in 1998 that aims to protect the online privacy of children under the age of 13. COPPA sets specific guidelines and requirements for website operators and online services that collect personal information from children. The law requires these entities to provide clear and comprehensive privacy policies, obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information, give parents control over the information collected from their children, and establish appropriate security measures to protect the collected data. COPPA also restricts the disclosure of children’s personal information and allows parents to review, delete, and disable further collection of their child’s information. To ensure compliance, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces COPPA by investigating and taking legal actions against violators while providing extensive resources and guidance to businesses and parents.