Not in compliance with COPPA (federal law)

  • Please modify your software so that it is in compliance with COPPA rules. We are not allowed to collect email addresses of minors without written permission of the parent.

    Right now the software is violating federal law.

    The system needs to prescreen subscribers and those under 13 can not have persional information stored in the database. Its ok to mail them a password but we can not store any persional information about them, including the email address.

    https://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.htm

    I have modified my signup screens in my copy to send minors to another screen telling them they can not subscribe but this is only a work arround.
    We need a special minor subscription level built in the software that way minors can make post but we will not have any persional info on them..

Viewing 46 replies (of 46 total)

  • Hi all, I’ve been using bblog for a while, and am currently switching to try out wordpress. I must say, i’m very impressed with your work, and wish you luck in continuing it.

    Regarding this matter, my 2 cents would be not to stick any of this in the core of wordpress. Not all the world is in USA and Europe, nor follows US/EU laws. I like this blog for its simplicity in both design and use. The last thing i want is for silly *US* or *EU* laws to control it, adding these pointless email requests, and offensive discriminating “don’t use this program if you’re from this country or that country” laws.

    The internet is all about freedom. I don’t live in the US, nor do i ever plan on going there again.. So why should i along with 5.7 billion other people suffer under US laws on a program that’s supposed to be international and free.

    If anything, put these checks as plugins, and let the user who’s setting up wordpress on his server to enable them. Its his reponsibility, not yours. But don’t lock the code to a specific country… Or just simply say “this is a free program, if you’re in USA then you’re not allowed to use it” :p like encryption in the early days ?? OR just put a disclaimer “warning, do not download this”, then you’re off the hook for sure :p

    Anyway, i don’t want my first post to cause bad blood between anyone, so ill stop here.. this is all talk, and i hope to contribute to the project if it seems worth the upgrade (so far, so good).

Viewing 46 replies (of 46 total)
  • The topic ‘Not in compliance with COPPA (federal law)’ is closed to new replies.

Tags