Monthly Archives: July 2013

Important COPPA Update

Child with Laptop

By Hunter Farrell

Significant revisions to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule, issued by the Federal Trade Commission, took effect on July 1, 2013.  In accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”), the FTC amended the Rule to improve protections for personal information of children in response to changes in online technology.  The summary section of the Rule states:

“The final amended Rule includes modifications to the definitions of operator, personal information, and Web site or online service directed to children. The amended Rule also updates the requirements set forth in the notice, parental consent, confidentiality and security, and safe harbor provisions, and adds a new provision addressing data retention and deletion.”

The full text of the final amended Rule and supplementary information are available here:  http://www.ftc.gov/os/fedreg/2013/01/130117coppa.pdf.  The following article provides an good summary of the amendments:  http://www.globalprivacyblog.com/privacy/new-coppa-rules-effective-july-1/.  Online providers that may be collecting information from children should closely review their data collection and retention practices in light of the new regulations.

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