FTC Enhances COPPA Guidelines to Boost Age Verification for Online Child Safety
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced new guidelines aimed at enhancing age verification methods to protect children online. This policy statement, issued recently, clarifies that the FTC will not initiate enforcement actions under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) against specific online operators. These operators collect personal information solely for age verification purposes.
Key Aspects of COPPA and Recent Changes
The COPPA Rule is crucial in safeguarding children under 13 by requiring websites and services aimed at this age group to obtain verifiable parental consent prior to collecting personal data. Since its enactment in 1998, the digital landscape has significantly evolved, prompting a rise in internet-connected technologies for children.
Role of Age Verification Technologies
The FTC emphasizes the importance of age verification technologies in helping parents monitor their children’s online interactions. States have begun mandating that specific websites implement these technologies to confirm user ages. However, there are concerns regarding the collection of personal information during this process and its potential conflict with COPPA.
Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, remarked, “Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades.” This statement encourages the adoption of these technologies by online service operators.
Conditions for Exemption
The FTC will not pursue enforcement actions against operators of general audience and mixed audience sites that collect age-related data without prior parental consent, provided they adhere to strict conditions:
- Data collected for age verification must only be used to ascertain user age.
- The information must not be retained longer than necessary, and should be deleted promptly afterward.
- Shared information must only be disclosed to third parties equipped to maintain confidentiality and security.
- Clear notifications should be provided to parents and children about the data collection process.
- Operators must implement reasonable security safeguards for the information collected.
- Operators must assess that any methods used for age verification yield accurate age determinations.
Future Directions
The FTC plans to review the COPPA Rule further, focusing on age verification mechanisms. The current policy statement remains in effect until the FTC publishes amendments in the Federal Register or withdraws them. This initiative reflects the Commission’s ongoing efforts to enhance child safety online.
In a recent FTC vote, the policy statement received unanimous support, with a 2-0 outcome. Manmeet Dhindsa, a key figure from the Bureau of Consumer Protection, leads this initiative.
