Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

On September 9, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it is seeking public comment on another proposed mechanism (submitted by Imperium, LLC) to obtain verifiable parental consent in accordance with the new Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (the “COPPA Rule”) that came into effect July 1, 2013. This announcement follows on the heels of a similar recent announcement that the Commission is seeking public comment on a parental consent mechanism proposed by a different company.

The COPPA Rule requires operators of certain websites and online services to obtain a parent’s consent before collecting personal information online from a child under 13. In addition to the acceptable methods for obtaining the required parental consent listed in the COPPA Rule, the FTC’s revisions also allow entities to propose their own parental consent mechanisms for approval by the Commission. The FTC has invited interested parties to comment on Imperium’s proposal by October 9, 2013.

Update: On December 23, 2013, the FTC approved Imperium’s proposal.