What is COPPA? (vBulletin forum moderation)

[sandra]

COPPA Registration System Use the COPPA registration system. This complies with the COPPA laws and requires children under the age of 13 to get parental consent before they can post. For more info about this law, see here: http://www.vbulletin.com/go/coppa Source: vBulletin.com

Q: I am still confused, because there is a third option in the vBulletin Options: Deny registration to users under 13.

Does choosing this option mean I am "enabling" or NOT enabling the COPPA agreement? And does choosing it mean I can still be in compliance with US law?

A: COPPA applies to you if you are hosted in the US. COPPA is a US federal statute regarding the collection of personal information on people under the age of 13, requiring parental consent to do so.

Denying registration to those under 13 is in compliance with COPPA. COPPA says if someone under 13 joins your forum, they need parental permission to do, but if they can't join at all, you're still in compliance.


See also...

How to comply with Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, effective April 21, 2000, applies to the online collection of personal information from children under 13. The new rules spell out what a Web site operator must include in a privacy policy, when and how to seek verifiable consent from a parent and what responsibilities an operator has to protect children's privacy and safety online.

The Federal Trade Commission staff prepared this guide to help you comply with the new requirements for protecting children's privacy online and understand the FTC's enforcement authority.

Who Must Comply

If you operate a commercial Web site or an online service directed to children under 13 that collects personal information from children or if you operate a general audience Web site and have actual knowledge that you are collecting personal information from children, you must comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

• To determine whether a Web site is directed to children, the FTC considers several factors, including the subject matter; visual or audio content; the age of models on the site; language; whether advertising on the Web site is directed to children; information regarding the age of the actual or intended audience; and whether a site uses animated characters or other child-oriented features.

• To determine whether an entity is an "operator" with respect to information collected at a site, the FTC will consider who owns and controls the information; who pays for the collection and maintenance of the information; what the pre-existing contractual relationships are in connection with the information; and what role the Web site plays in collecting or maintaining the information.

Personal Information

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and Rule apply to individually identifiable information about a child that is collected online, such as full name, home address, email address, telephone number or any other information that would allow someone to identify or contact the child. The Act and Rule also cover other types of information -- for example, hobbies, interests and information collected through cookies or other types of tracking mechanisms -- when they are tied to individually identifiable information.

Read more...

COPPA - Children's Online Privacy Protection

My website is hosted in the UK, and I'm British citizen. From what I understand, it is a US only law. Am I correct in thinking I do not have to enable COPPA on my forum?