COPPA

COPPA* was passed following a three-year FTC** effort to identify and educate the industry and the public about the issues raised by the online collection of personal information from children and adult consumers.

The FTC recommended that Congress enact legislation concerning children following a March 1998 survey of 212 commercial children's Web sites.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) went into effect on April 21, 2000. COPPA rules stipulate that commercial Websites and online services must obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information about children under 13, or before they are allowed to use e-mail, chat, or any other interactive technology where they could share personal information with strangers.

Download Copy of the COPPA Act
(pdf format)

FTC & Internet Safety Tips

What is the FTC?
The Federal Trade Commission is the supervisory body appointed by the Federal Government to protect the rights, privileges and safety of consumers.

Tthe FTC takes specific interest in the safeguarding of privacy between parents, schoolchildren and education professionals, with particular emphasis on protecting children under the age of 13 years.

For more information visit the FTC website.

Internet Safety Tips

Websites must get a parent's permission before they collect personally identifiable information online.

Never give out your last or first name, your home address or your phone number in chat rooms, on bulletin boards or to online pen pals.

Don't tell other kids your screen name, user ID or password.

Look at a website's Privacy Policy to see how the site uses the information you give.

Surf the Internet with your parents. If they aren't available, talk to them about the sites you're visiting.

Talk about the site's Privacy Policy with your parents so that you and your parents will know what information the site collects about you and what it does with the information.

Websites must get your parent's permission before they collect many kinds of information from you.

If a website has information about you that you and your parents don't want it to have, your parents can ask to see the information - and they can ask the website to delete or erase the information.

Sites are not supposed to collect more information than they need about you for the activity you want to participate in. You should be able to participate in many activities online without having to give any information about yourself.

If a site makes you uncomfortable or asks for more information than you want to share - leave the site.

How to Protect Kids' Privacy On-line
Whether playing, shopping, studying or just surfing, today's kids are taking advantage of all that the web has to offer.

Download FTC safety tips
(pdf format)

CIPA

Children's Internet Privacy Act

Any school or library that receives discounted rates for "Internet access, Internet service or internal connections" under the E-Rate program , or receives funding through the Library Services & Technology Act or Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act , in order to purchase computers used to access the Internet, or to pay for direct costs associated with accessing the Internet, must comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Additionally, libraries and schools that receive E-Rate support must also comply with the Neighborhood Children's Internet Protection Act (N-CIPA), which requires the adoption of very detailed Internet Safety Policies.

Download CIPA compliance information
(PDF OF CIPA)

* COPPA - Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
** FTC - Federal Trade Commission.