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FTC Seeks Comments on Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

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By CARU Staff

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) typically reviews its rules every 10 years, but due to the rapid changes in technology, including the expanding use of education technology, the committee has decided to ask for comments on the amendments it made to the Children's Online Privacy Protection act (COPPA) in 2013. COPPA first went into effect in 2000 and its purpose is to protect children’s privacy by giving parents tools to control what information is collected from their children online. In addition to standard questions about the effectiveness of the COPPA Rule and whether it should be retained or modified, the FTC is seeking comment on all major provisions of the COPPA Rule, including its definitions, notice and parental consent requirements, exceptions to verifiable parental consent, and safe harbor provision. 
The FTC will hold a public workshop on October 7, 2019 to examine the COPPA Rule.
Some of the specific questions on which the FTC is seeking comment, along with info on the FTC and COPPA can be found here.
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