Webmaster Questions and Answers

Question: What is this new Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and am I affected by it?

Answer: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was put into law on April 21, 2000. Any Website that collects information from children under 13 (i.e. forum registrations, ezines, service registration, etc.) is effected. Disobedience to the law, which requires you to get parental consent could cost $11,000 per incident. So if a Website was found guilty of collecting information on children (under 13) in 72 instances, the Website could be forced to pay a $792,000 fine and other possible action from the FTC.

This is a very serious law that requires action from Webmasters. Many are banning those under 13 from participating in anything that requires a registration or email address. Others are spending mass amounts of money to be in full compliance. What does it take to be in compliance? Click here.

Joe Tracy

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