Author: seeley | Total views: 32 Comments: 0
Word Count: 583 Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 10:59 AM

A Web Operator's Guide to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

If you're a new website operator or you own a business website that children under 13 may use, you need to understand and comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. This act was passed on April 21, 2000 to protect the privacy as well as the safety of children under the age of 13 who use the Internet.

COPPA outlines specific requirements website operators
must adhere to, and ignorance is no defense when it comes to COPPA. If you violate the rules outlined in this important Act, you could be charged up to $11,000 per violation.

The rules outlined in COPPA regarding the responsibilities of web operators are very clear. Every website owner or operator should be able to understand the Act completely by reading through it, but if you have questions or doubts about compliance or whether or not your rules apply to your website, don't leave it to chance.

Regardless of whether or not you operate a site aimed at children under 13 or collect any personal information at all online, you should read and understand the COPPA. If you are operating a website or an online business, it is your responsibility to abide by COPPA, but you can also use your knowledge to look out for other web sites that could be violating the Act. It's the least you can do to help keep kids safe online.

If you do operate a website that is aimed at children under the age of 13, it is imperative that you completely understand this Act and are positive you are abiding by every rule outlining your responsibilities. If you're not sure, the easiest way to find out is by seeking assistance from the FTC. You can refer to the FTC's COPPA website which you can access online. If you have a question about the Act or your responsibilities, pick up the phone and call the COPPA Compliance Information Line at 202-326-3140.

What are some of the Website Operator requirements outlined in COPPA? Websites must post a privacy policy in accordance with COPPA guidelines. Any website directed towards children that collects information from kids under13 must disclose their information collection practices. This disclosure must be created and even placed on your website in a very specific way that is outlined in COPPA. Some websites also must obtain parental consent before they collect, use or disclose personal information about a child under the age of 13.

This is a general overview of three of the types of regulations COPPA holds website operators to, and there are more. You are not necessarily excluded from regulations if you have what you believe to be a general audience website. The only way you will know for certain whether or not COPPA applies to your website is to obtain a copy of the Act and read through it thoroughly. You can also obtain a very helpful COPPA checklist online through the FTC.

You may or may not agree that it is every Internet user's responsibility to help protect children's privacy and ensure their safety online, but it is undoubtedly the responsibility of every web operator. It only takes a small investment of your time to read through the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

Make the effort today to ensure your websites are in compliance with FTC regulations, and learn how to spot potentially dangerous websites that could be threatening the privacy of children online.

About the Author

Download Web Legal Kit today to learn about email compliance measures.

Find out how you can protect your intellectual property with copyrights, trademarks, and patents, including search functions.

http://www.weblegalkit.com

Rate, comment or bookmark this article

Seed Newsvine

Bookmark this article in your preferred program

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

HTML code

Popular Articles in this cathegory

1: Internet Marketing Software: The Secret to Serious Online Profits

It is a known fact that 95% of internet marketers never make it into profitable business. Only 5% become successful. You need to be smarter to be among the 5% successful marketers. But you ask me…how can I be smarter than the whole 95%? Well, there is a great difference between somebody doing it manually and someone using the modern state of the art technology. You can run but you will never catch up with somebody driving a car! A car can speed you up but you will never catch up with the plane. You must get into a plane to catch up with the fliers. You must make use of Internet Marketing Software, Period. Let’s talk about flying now!Make good use of good Internet marketing tools and you will succeed.

2: Thai Privacy Laws in a New Technological Era

The Thai government's new internet laws have met with either acclaim or criticism around the world, but there is no doubt that they are groundbreaking. Thailand law has succeeded in gaining a tighter control over the internet than most others. However, there are new privacy threats on the internet for Thai citizens, being enabled by technology. Will the government be as quick to react to these?

3: What Employers Need To Know About Employee Blogging

Many employers have become concerned with employees who are "blogging." The possibility that some of these employees may be disclosing confidential business information or criticizing their managers, other employees or the company online. Employers need to understand the various legal issues involved with employee blogging and need to know how to properly address them.

4: Legal Issues Facing Home Based Business

A real home based Internet business has to comply with the same legal regulations as an Internet business from any other location. Here are the basic legal issues with which a real home based Internet..

5: "Domain Name Spying"-The Latest Technique In Domain Name Sabotage

If you are a new business owner, you likely have spent a good deal of time trying to determine what domain name will be best for your operations. To this end, you may have taken the steps necessary t..

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.