CIPA&COPPA

ArtizCardenas&ForrieStreeter
TeachersCollegeofSanJoaquin:TECH280
June28,2016

WhatisCIPA?
CIPAistheChildrensInternetProtectionAct.CIPAwassignedintolawintheyear200
andfoundtobeconstitutionalbytheUnitedStatesSupremeCourtin2003(FCC,2011).
AccordingtotheDataPrivacyGuidebook,CIPAspurposeisalawenactedsostudentsdonot
needtobeexposedtoobscenematerialatschool(Fagan,2015).Toensurethis,schoolsand
districtsmustobtainacertificationforitsinternetsafetypolicy.Additionally,thefederal
governmentoffersthefederaleratefundinginternetprogramforthoseschoolsthatreceivedthe
certification(thefederaleratefundinginternetisaheavilysubsidizedcostofinternetfor
schoolsanddistricts).
Inordertofullyreceivethediscountedrate,LocalEducationAgencies(LEAs)mustdo
thefollowing:(1)blockmaterialthatisdeemedharmfultominors(2)establishinga
monitoringsystemoftheminorsthatutilizetheLEAsnetworkand(3)educatingstudentsabout
theresponsibilitiesofutilizingtheinternet,includingissuessuchascyberbullyingand
interactingwithothersonline(FCC,2011).
TherehavebeenattemptsbypolicymakersandactiviststoexpandorupdateCIPAtothe
moderntimes.Withtheestablishmentofsocialnetworkingwebsitesandapplications,manyfeel
thatCIPAisoutdatedanddonotaddresstheconcernsthatsocialnetworkingcouldhavewith
students.AlthoughtheFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)didupdaterulesonhowto
implementCIPAin2011,wordingregardingsocialnetworkingisnonexistent(FCC2011).
Twoagencies,theInternationalSocietyforTechnologyinEducation(ISTE)andthe
ConsortiumforSocialNetworking(CoSN)releasedajointstatementin2011urgingcongressto
updateCIPA.Bothagenciesaskforspecificlanguageaddressingstudentbehavioronsocial

networkingwebsite.Theagenciesdonotwanttoseesocialnetworkingbanorblocked,but
ratheravailableforstudentstouse(withthepropertrainingandeducationofutilizingitinan
educationalsetting).Thisway,itallowsforstudentstoberesponsiblefortheirusageofsocial
networking(Swan,2015).
WhatisCOPPA?
COPPAistheChildren'sOnlinePrivacyProtectionRule.Intodaysclassroom
technologyisusedasoftenasapenorpencil.Withtechnologycomesoperatingsystemsand
platformsforapplicationsandlearningresources.Goodorbad,theseresourcesareembeddedin
theinternet,whetheritisaGoogleaccountforaChromebookorastatestandardizedtest,the
internethasbecomeanecessity.Theinternetisnotjustaportaltoknowledgeandawayof
furtheringoneseducation,itsPandorasBox,fullofinformationaboutanythingandeverything,
youjusthavetoask.LikePandorasBoxtherewerecasualties,thingswedidnotsee,thingswe
didnotknowlingeredintheweb,thesepestilencesthatpreyonadolescence.Peoplebeganto
realizethenecessityofrulesandregulationstoprotectchildrenfromtheweb,andnotjustthe
horrorsbutBigBrothertoo.
COPPAwaspassedin1998,thebilladdressedtheconcernthatnotonlywasbigbusiness
targetingchildrenontheweb,butthattheywerecipheringandcollectingpersonalinformation
aboutchildrenwithoutparentalconsent(Jamtgaard,2000).Thisbillappliestopersonsunderthe
ageof13yearsold.Thisisasurprisinglyarbitrarydatesinceanindividualmusthaveparental
consentfordriving,speakingonrecordtolawenforcement,drivingandpromuntiltheageof18.
TherearefivekeyrequirementsofCOPPA:(1)Notice(2)ParentalConsent(3)Parental
Review(4)LimitsontheUseofGamesandPrizesand(5)Security(Jamtgaard,2000).Notice

requiresawebsitetoposttheircompliancetoCOPPAifthesitecollectspersonaldatafrom
personsundertheageof13.
ParentalConsentisarequirementthatawebsitemustgiveparentsdirectnoticethatthey
intendtocollectinformationfromachildunder13,andthentheparentorguardianhastogive
verifiableconsentforthewebsitetocollecttheinformation(FTD
,2006).WithReview
2
parentsaregiventheopportunitytoreviewthedatacollectedontheirchildrenandcanrevoke
theirconsentanduseofdataatanytime.Unlikeadultconsent,parentscanalsoopttonothave
rd
theirchildsinformationsharedwitha3
party(FTD
,2006).LimitsontheUseofGamesand
2

Prizeswasrewordedinthe2001toNotconditionachildsparticipationincertainactivitieson
collectionofmorepersonalinformationthanisreasonablynecessary(FTD
2016)Security
3,
basicallyrequiresthesecurityofthesiteitselfandtheinformationcollectedonchildrenunder13
onthesite.Asasafeguardsitewillhaveauseridentifytheiragebeforecollectinginformation
askingtheageorapproximateagetotheusertodeterminewhetherornottheyareunder13.
Conclusion
Andhereiswherechildrenareleftvirtuallyplayingonthefreewayintraffic,theylie
abouttheirageandotherdemographicinformation.TheybreaktherulesandopentheBox.
Childrenunder13haveFacebook,Instagram,Twitter,Snapchat,Skypeandanyothersocial
mediaapptheirlittleheartsdesire.Someparentsfeartheinternetbecausetheyseeitas
uncensoredknowledge,atreeorgoodandevil.CIPAtheChildrensInternetProtectionAct
requireschoolsandlibraries,participatingintheErate,toblockorfilterInternetaccessto
picturesthatare:(a)obscene(b)childpornographyor(c)harmfultominors(forcomputersthat
areaccessedbyminors)(FCC,2011).Thisisanattempttomaketheinternetsafeatschoolso

parentswillbemoreinclinedtogiveconsentincompliancewithCIPA,toallowtheirchildto
usetheinternetatschoolwithintheCIPAguidelines.Theactandthebillareastartingpoint,
theinternetischangingandmorphingintosomethingdifferentconsistently.Onecaneven
comparetheproblemofprotectingchildrenontheinternetwithfightingahydra,chopoffone
head,solveoneproblem,andtwoormorereplaceitthroughinnovationandevolution.

References
FCC.(2011).Children'sInternetProtectionAct.RetrievedJune29,2016,from
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrensinternetprotectionact
FTD.(2016).Children'sOnlinePrivacyProtectionRule("COPPA").RetrievedJune28,2016,
from
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemakingregulatoryreformproceedings/childr
ensonlineprivacyprotectionrule
FTD
.(2016).Children'sOnlinePrivacyProtectionRule:ASixStepCompliancePlanforYour
2
Business.RetrievedJune28,2016,from
https://www.ftc.gov/tipsadvice/businesscenter/guidance/childrensonlineprivacyprotec
tionrulesixstepcompliance
Jamtgaard,L.(2000).BigBirdmeetsbigbrother:AlookattheChildren'sOnlinePrivacy
ProtectionAct.SantaClaraComputer&HighTech.LJ,16,385.
Swan,G.(2015).Getyourstudentsontheroadtodigitalcitizenshipwithadigitaldriver.
RetrievedJune29,2016,from
https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=582