A toy company has created an online game in which the company’s dolls are characters users can interact with. The company encourages kids to sign up for the game by providing their name, hometown, and school. What law is the company violating?

Answer 1

The toy company is likely violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) because they are collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 without obtaining verifiable parental consent. COPPA requires that websites or online services directed towards children must provide a clear privacy policy, obtain parental consent before collecting personal information, and give parents the right to review and delete their children's information. Collecting names, hometowns, and school information from kids falls under the category of personal data, which is protected by this law.