The COPPA Rule implements the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA Act), which prohibits unfair and deceptive acts and practices in collecting and using personally identifiable information from and about children via the Internet.
In September 2011, the FTC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on proposed changes to the COPPA Rule to keep the Rule current with technology advances and consistent with the COPPA Act. The FTC received 350 comments. In response to those comments and informed by its experience in enforcing and administrating the Rule, the FTC, through this final rule, has modified certain definitions to clarify the scope of the Rule and strengthen its protections for the online collection, use, or disclosure of children's personal information.
The changes to the definitions of "operator" and "website or online service directed to children" will potentially increase the number of operators subject to the Rule. The changes to the definition of "personal information" would expand the definition to encompass additional types of information and thereby potentially increase the number of operators subject to the Rule. The Rule amendments require a safe harbor applicant to submit a more detailed proposal than what the current Rule mandates. Existing safe harbor programs will thus need to submit a revised application and new safe harbor applicants will have to provide greater detail than they would under the current Rule.
The cumulative estimated incremental burden, annualized, for the above-noted Rule amendments, including increased estimates of the number of operators affected, is 69,720 hours and $21,508,900 in associated labor costs. Because both operators and safe harbor programs will already be equipped with the computer equipment and software necessary to comply with the Rule's new notice requirements, the final Rule amendments should not impose any additional capital or other non-labor costs.
$700,000
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Carl Settlemyer 202 326-2019
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
COPPA Final Rule Suppl. Supptg Stmt_mtd.pdf
COPPA links to public comments on SNPRM & NPRM .docx
New entrant web operators' disclosure burden