Compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) necessitates specific actions when developing and deploying applications that may be used by children under the age of 13. This involves implementing mechanisms to verify user age, obtain verifiable parental consent when required, and adhere to stringent data collection and usage policies tailored for child users. Examples include using age-gate prompts before accessing certain features, employing third-party services for parental consent verification, and limiting data collection to only what is reasonably necessary for the application’s functionality.
Adherence to COPPA is crucial for protecting the privacy of young users and avoiding substantial legal penalties. Failing to comply can result in significant fines and reputational damage. Historically, enforcement actions by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have demonstrated the importance of implementing robust privacy safeguards for children’s online activities. These actions underscore the need for developers to proactively address COPPA requirements throughout the app development lifecycle.
