FTC Approves Modifications to Video Game Industry Self-Regulatory COPPA Safe Harbor Program

Federal Trade Commission press release --------- The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) applied for approval of proposed modifications to its COPPA safe harbor program. The FTC’s COPPA Rule requires, among other things, that operators of commercial websites and online services directed to children under the age of 13, or general audience websites and online services that knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, must obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing any personal information from children under the age of 13. The FTC’s COPPA Rule includes a “safe harbor” provision that allows industry groups and others to ask the Commission to approve self-regulatory guidelines that implement the protections of the Rule. Companies that comply with an FTC-approved safe harbor program are exempt from agency enforcement action under the Rule. To learn more click on the picture below to read the release.