The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule). The changes would place new restrictions on the use and disclosure of children’s personal information and further limit the ability of companies to condition access to services on monetizing children’s data.
The FTC is seeking comment on proposed changes to the COPPA Rule aimed at addressing the evolving ways personal information is being collected, used and disclosed, including to monetize children’s data, and clarifying and streamlining the rule. The COPPA Rule, which first went into effect in 2000, requires certain websites and other online services that collect personal information from children under the age of 13 to provide notice to parents and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from these children. The rule also limits the personal data that websites and other online services can collect from children, limits how long they can retain such data, and requires them to secure the data.