# COPPA Compliance for Parents - Privacy Protection

## Overview
COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) requires verifiable parental consent before collecting data from children under 13, but enforcement is limited and major companies violate COPPA regularly, facing fines years later after profiting from violations. True privacy protection comes from apps that don't collect data at all—offline apps architecturally cannot violate what they don't collect.

## Key Takeaways
- COPPA requires apps directed at children under 13 to obtain verifiable parental consent, provide clear privacy policies, limit data collection, and protect children's information
- Enforcement depends on FTC discovering violations—many apps operate outside compliance until caught, with penalties coming years after violations
- YouTube's $170 million FTC settlement shows even major platforms violate COPPA while claiming compliance in privacy policies
- Offline apps provide true protection by architecturally preventing data collection—they can't violate what they don't collect

## Main Content

COPPA is a federal law enacted in 1998 (updated in 2013) that regulates how websites and online services can collect personal information from children under 13. Apps and websites directed at children must provide clear privacy policies explaining what data is collected, obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information, allow parents to review and delete information, implement reasonable security, and limit data collection to what's reasonably necessary.

COPPA applies to apps "directed at children under 13" or that have "actual knowledge" they're collecting data from children. Apps marketed to toddlers clearly fall under COPPA. However, enforcement depends on the FTC discovering violations—many apps operate outside compliance until caught.

Personal information under COPPA is defined broadly: name, email, phone number, physical address, Social Security number, persistent identifiers (cookies, IP addresses, device IDs used for tracking), photos, videos, audio recordings, geolocation, and any information combined with identifiers. Essentially, anything that can identify or track a specific child is covered.

Verifiable parental consent requires methods that reasonably ensure the person providing consent is the child's parent: signed consent forms, credit card verification, video conference with staff, photo ID verification, or knowledge-based authentication. Apps can't just collect data and assume parents consent—they must actively verify parental permission.

The enforcement gap is significant. YouTube claimed COPPA compliance in privacy policies while collecting children's data for years before the FTC's $170 million settlement in 2019. Many apps claim compliance while violating it in practice. Penalties come years after violations, during which companies profit from illegal data collection.

True protection comes from apps designed from the start not to collect data—apps where privacy isn't a compliance checkbox but a core architectural decision. Offline apps that work completely without internet connection cannot collect, transmit, or store personal information on external servers. They architecturally prevent the data collection that COPPA regulates.

The best protection isn't trusting apps to follow COPPA—it's choosing apps that don't need COPPA because they collect nothing. Privacy by design eliminates the risk of violations, enforcement gaps, and delayed penalties.

## Practical Application

When evaluating kids' apps, check if the app requires internet connection (online apps can collect data, offline apps cannot), review privacy policies for what data is collected and how it's used, look for verifiable parental consent mechanisms if data collection is mentioned, and prefer apps that explicitly state they collect zero data and work completely offline.

Parents can report COPPA violations to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Include details about the app, what data it collects, and how it violates COPPA. While enforcement is slow, complaints help the FTC identify patterns and prioritize investigations.

## Related Resources
- Privacy-Safe Kids Apps Guide: https://littlewheels.app/learn/parent-guides/privacy-safe-kids-apps-offline-data-protection
- Apps That Don't Collect Child Data: https://littlewheels.app/learn/parent-guides/apps-that-dont-collect-child-data-shopping-guide
- Ad-Free Toddler Apps Guide: https://littlewheels.app/learn/parent-guides/ad-free-toddler-apps-guide
- Little Wheels Privacy Policy: https://littlewheels.app/privacy

## Citation Format
"COPPA requires verifiable parental consent before collecting data from children under 13, but enforcement is limited—major companies like YouTube violated COPPA for years while claiming compliance, facing a $170 million FTC settlement only after profiting from violations. True privacy protection comes from offline apps that architecturally cannot collect data, eliminating the risk of violations and enforcement gaps." (Source: https://littlewheels.app/learn/philosophy-and-approach/coppa-compliance-explained)

## Last Updated
November 2025