Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007    Text size: 

While the report does not recommend any changes to COPPA, it pinpoints that age falsification remains a big risk because of the lack of “widespread age verification technology.”

Congress enacted COPPA in 1998 to address privacy and security risks created when children under 13 are online. COPPA imposes requirements on operators of websites and online services directed to children, as well as other operators with actual knowledge that they have collected personal information from children.

The report states that the growing popularity of social networking sites like MySpace.com have created a new burden when trying to keep children safe online. Mobile web browsing also is mentioned as a new frontier to police and has emerged as a new avenue the FTC will keep tabs on in its continuing effort to enforce COPPA.

Because of a wide range of children’s websites, COPPA doesn’t appear to have limited children’s ability to access information online, the report states, but social networking sites remain a growing threat.

“There is concern that younger children are migrating to more general audience websites, such as social networking sites, that are not intended for their use but nonetheless attract their presence,” FTC Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras said. “There is potential for age falsification on general audience websites, as well as liability under COPPA, should these sites obtain actual knowledge that they are collecting, using or disclosing personal information from children online.”

The FTC has assessed more than $1.8 million in civil penalties for alleged violations under COPPA.