Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998

Congress passed COPPA to protect children's personal information from its collection and misuse by commercial Web sites. On October 20, 1999, the Federal Trade Commission issued a Final Rule [.pdf] implementing the Act, which went into effect on April 21, 2000. COPPA requires commercial Web sites and other online services directed at children 12 and under, or which collect information regarding users' age, to provide parents with notice of their information practices and obtain parental consent prior to the collection of personal information from children. The Act further requires such sites to provide parents with the ability to review and correct information about their children collected by such services. COPPA was designed to ensure that children's ability to speak, seek out information, and publish would not be adversely affected.