COPPA not COPA

PROMOTING DIGITAL LEARNING: The Aspen Institute is out today with a report on digital learning that calls for rethinking the federal laws that govern student privacy, including FERPA and COPPA. The task force, co-chaired by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, takes particular aim at COPPA, which blocks websites from collecting personal information on children under 13. The report says that restriction doesn’t have any scientific basis behind it and serves mostly to prevent younger children from using useful educational sites. In general, it advocates retooling laws to enhance opportunities for online learning, rather than simply restricting access. 

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with the defunct Child Online Protection Act, abbreviated "COPA".

The act, effective April 21, 2000, applies to the online collection of personal information by persons or entities under U.S.jurisdiction from children under 13 years of age. It details what a website operator must include in a privacy policy, when and how to seek verifiable consent from a parent or guardian, and what responsibilities an operator has to protect children's privacy and safety online including restrictions on the marketing to those under 13. While children under 13 can legally give out personal information with their parents' permission, many websites altogether disallow underage children from using their services due to the amount of work involved.