Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

Fdoou · Before February 2015

Holy beh, zoey's a mod?

COPPA is silly because they are bad at enforcing it.

NR2001 · Before February 2015

Zoey2070 wrote:

Wow, let's not have gun control laws because some people don't adhere to them anyway.
There's laws for a reason. Just because it can easily be bypassed doesn't mean it shouldn't exist at all. It's still a deterrent for some people and you're still breaking the law by being on a site and being under 13.
It actually IS to protect children: you know, protect their privacy. Because kids on occasion are dumb, let's face it.
Just because age does not equal maturity does not mean you should be allowed on a site. Does this mean that someone who is eighteen shouldn't be allowed on a site because he's an idiot? I'd argue yes, but that's stupid. Eighteen year olds have rights: kids don't. Theoretically, a parent would be watching their children's internet usage, see the COPPA notice, and tell them they're not allowed to be on it.
However, this is not the case. The problem does not lie with the law, it lies with the monitoring of children's internet usage or lack thereof.

What I think is important is who does this law affect (children under 13), what is the intended purpose (protect little kids from websites unless consent given from verified parents), does the law actually do what it says it does, where it matters the most (Facebook, Twitter) (unless your child goes on Common Sense Media, no, because website operators simply disallow under 13), and is the last statement true because of an easy loophole (yes, children are forced to post fake birth dates, the law shoots itself in the foot because it protects hardly anyone).

If the law were removed, would parents have to give consent anyway?

Another interesting thing to point out in the wanted situation of consent, is how, in exchange for a child's privacy, the parent's privacy is put at risk. (Imagine that a website was claiming that in order to prove that you're over 13, you must give us your CC, parent address, email, etc? And then the website steals all of your money, spams you, and they know your address all in the name of COPPA? Lawsuit against FTC right there)

I'm still against COPPA. COPPA didn't protect names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and other info of 10 million plus kids who are on Facebook.

In the end, it should be the parent's responsibility.

Side note: good discussion going on here. Like it when I hear your opinions!

32OrtonEdge32dh · Before February 2015

Why don't you just wait until you're thirteen to register for stuff? It's not that hard. Laws are laws for a reason, no one is forcing you to sign up anywhere.

Give me one website where you need to register, and why you have to do it without parental consent.

N1KF · Before February 2015

32OrtonEdge32dh wrote:

Why don't you just wait until you're thirteen to register for stuff? It's not that hard. Laws are laws for a reason, no one is forcing you to sign up anywhere.

As a child myself, I find it hard to wait years to get on the Neoboards. It's something teenagers don't understand. Like I said, I find myself to be pretty mature, (my friend told me this, too) and it pretty unfair how mature children don't get let on those websites, but mature teenagers can.

Tachyonic · Before February 2015

I heard the UK's Prime Minister - David Cameron - is planning on banning all online inappropriate content to children. How he will achieve that while it still being available to adults is unknown.

32OrtonEdge32dh · Before February 2015

Number(1)KirbyFan10 wrote:

32OrtonEdge32dh wrote:
Why don't you just wait until you're thirteen to register for stuff? It's not that hard. Laws are laws for a reason, no one is forcing you to sign up anywhere.
As a child myself, I find it hard to wait years to get on the Neoboards. It's something teenagers don't understand. Like I said, I find myself to be pretty mature, (my friend told me this, too) and it pretty unfair how mature children don't get let on those websites, but mature teenagers can.

You know, everyone older than you was your age once.

NR2001 · Before February 2015

32OrtonEdge32dh wrote:

Why don't you just wait until you're thirteen to register for stuff? It's not that hard. Laws are laws for a reason, no one is forcing you to sign up anywhere.
Give me one website where you need to register, and why you have to do it without parental consent.

The government shouldn't be responsible for the reason why you'd have to wait until you're 13 years old (it should be the parent's choice, it shouldn't be made for them). The government is, even though their law wasn't supposed to do this, but their law is so badly designed that this is the side-effect. The side-effect in turn nullifies the entire law's purpose in the first place because children under 13 register, and the website can say that they had no reason to believe that so-and-so is or was under 13.

Besides, waiting years just to participate on the internet is a long time.
Waiting years to do anything is a long time.

Bash · Before February 2015

NR2001 wrote:

32OrtonEdge32dh wrote:
Why don't you just wait until you're thirteen to register for stuff? It's not that hard. Laws are laws for a reason, no one is forcing you to sign up anywhere.
Give me one website where you need to register, and why you have to do it without parental consent.
The government shouldn't be responsible for the reason why you'd have to wait until you're 13 years old (it should be the parent's choice, it shouldn't be made for them). The government is, even though their law wasn't supposed to do this, but their law is so badly designed that this is the side-effect. The side-effect in turn nullifies the entire law's purpose in the first place because children under 13 register, and the website can say that they had no reason to believe that so-and-so is or was under 13.
Besides, waiting years just to participate on the internet is a long time.
Waiting years to do anything is a long time.

It's less "The government is controlling us, run for the hills" and more "If we don't cover all the bases, someone is going to complain."

People know the law doesn't actually work. I was reading a question about it not long ago. Most age checks don't work, but they are there for legal protection. Papers have been written on this, studies have been done, but it still remains because nobody in their right mind wants to deal with the side effects.

This is coming from a developer who has to integrate the age checks into products.

Last edited by Bash (Jun 23 2013 9:17:07 pm)

Deetz · Before February 2015

It's so hard for Coppa to enforce this, look at me! I'm only 8 and you all think I'm 15! wait what no

NR2001 · Before February 2015

Deetz wrote:

It's so hard for Coppa to enforce this, look at me! I'm only 8 and you all think I'm 15! wait what no

This sums it up pretty nicely:

EDIT!!:

200th post!

Last edited by NR2001 (Jun 24 2013 11:40:20 am)

skullz17 · Before February 2015

Imo their parents should decide whether they're mature enough to go on the internet. I'm not saying mature enough to go on any site, but mature enough to know what they should and shouldn't do on the internet.

Arceus64 · Before February 2015

Most children are smart (or dumb?) enough to lie about their age to join websites, but what concerns me most is whether parents are (safely) monitoring their child´s online activity. Who´s to say they would even know if they go on Facebook, especially in the age and generation, where everything comes as easily in the click of a button, and parents are generally being less protective?

If our children won't care, our parents/legal guardians should.

Last edited by Arceus64 (Jun 24 2013 4:35:14 pm)

Koya · Before February 2015

I think it's working fine, kids are using the websites and the websites can't get sued by parents; win - win.

NR2001 · Before February 2015

Squad wrote:

I think it's working fine, kids are using the websites and the websites can't get sued by parents; win - win.

You forgot the part where the kids lie, so it's more like win-win-lose.

Tako · Before February 2015

NR2001 wrote:

In my opinion, COPPA is unconstitutional because a child can't signup for the 2 most popular social networking and most popular video streaming website because of some stupid lawmaker in the White House who thinks that it's his/her responsibility to protect the privacy of children, when it really should be the parent's. The inability of being able to sign up is restricting the child's freedom of speech (first amendment).

I would agree with the statement that this act is unconstitutional; however, the act is not actually restricting free speech/the right to use the internet. It requires that you let your parents know, and let them decide for you. If the parent says no, then that is their decision. Children obey their parents, it's simple. I'm no lawyer, but last I checked parents were allowed to restrict their child's free speech until they were no longer a minor.

You then go on, of course, to mention that COPPA doesn't actually do anything so I guess this entire point is worthless in effect.

Raiden · Before February 2015

Being under 13 myself, I really don't see the point of this. I haven't been "attacked" from whatever COPPA is seemingly protecting me from.

Koya · Before February 2015

NR2001 wrote:

Squad wrote:
I think it's working fine, kids are using the websites and the websites can't get sued by parents; win - win.
You forgot the part where the kids lie, so it's more like win-win-lose.

Meh, kids will lie; I've lied online, you've lied online, everyone has lied online.

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