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• FTC’s revised COPPA rules go into effect July 1, 2013

  May 08, 2013

  On May 6, 2013, the FTC unanimously decided that the revised Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) will go into effect on July 1, 2013, as announced last December. Several industry organizations had asked the Commission to postpone the implementation date because the FTC had not issued updated guidelines for the revised rules.

  However, last week, the FTC issued the requested guidelines in a new document, “Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions.” The document contains 92 questions and answers that will help both businesses and parents interpret the revised rules. The FAQs explain the Act’s requirements and ...

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  Tags: Internet Sweepstakes Parents COPPA Children

• Boot Camp #4: Travel companions

  March 20, 2013

  When someone wins a trip in a sweepstakes or contest, they usually expect that the prize will be for two people so they can bring a travel companion along on their journey. If your promotion requires winners to fly solo, you need to make that very clear in the rules and any accompanying advertisements or other promotions. It needs to be very conspicuous that the trip is only for the winner.

  Assuming your prize does include a travel companion, you need to be aware of several issues. First, the minimum required age for the companion is important. If the person accompanying ...

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  Tags: Sweepstakes Boot Camp Official Rules Travel Children Prize

• FTC issues long-awaited revisions to COPPA rules

  January 04, 2013

  (This post wraps up our three-part series on COPPA. Part one: “Sorry, tweens: No sweepstakes or contests until you’re 13.” Part two: “FTC strengthens law protecting children’s personal information.”)

  The Federal Trade Commission released its long-awaited amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rules on Dec. 19, 2012. Anyone who creates or reviews sweepstakes and contests involving children should be aware of these changes.

  One of the FTC’s primary responsibilities is to protect consumers from inadvertently disclosing confidential personal information to third parties. When the consumers are under the age of 13, the Commission ...

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  Tags: FTC Internet Sweepstakes Internet Operator COPPA Children Privacy

• FTC strengthens law protecting children’s personal information

  February 28, 2012

  (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

  (This post is part two of a three-part series. Part one: “Sorry, tweens: No sweepstakes or contests until you’re 13.” Part three: "FTC issues long-awaited revisions to COPPA rules.")

  The Federal Trade Commission wants to bolster the law that prohibits the disclosure of children’s personal information online. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is designed to ensure that children under the age of 13 do not disclose any personal information about themselves without their parent’s permission. The COPPA rules were adopted in 2000.  Because of the many technological changes and the increase in use of the Internet ...

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  Tags: FTC Parents Internet COPPA Children Regulations Privacy

• Sorry, tweens: No sweepstakes or contests until you’re 13

  February 20, 2012

  (This post is part one of a three-part series. Part two: “FTC strengthens law protecting children’s personal information." Par three: "FTC issues long-awaited revisions to COPPA rules.")

  Now that one-year-olds have mastered iPads, it’s clear that children will be interacting with the Internet more and more — and at a younger age.

  Back in the late 1990s, the federal government demonstrated remarkable prescience about this technological shift and created strict rules that govern the information websites collect on underage users. It’s because of that law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), that so many sweepstakes and contests exclude children under ...

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  Tags: FTC Internet Sweepstakes Parents Internet COPPA Children Contest Privacy