COPPA is a federal law that impacts Dearborn Public Schools. We must follow COPPA.
COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.
So, how does COPPA impact us? Well, let’s take a look at a free resource that teachers might find useful with students. PowToon is used to create “awesome videos and presentations”. (Naturally, there is also a paid version).
However, we need to take a look at their Privacy Policy. They will note that they are COPPA compliant, because:
Our website, products, and services are all directed to people who are at least 13 years or older.
This means that students must be at least 13 years old in order to use this service, unless the school and the parents sign off on the creation of that account. Since the district would be responsible for tracking and monitoring that permission, we do not allow students under the age of thirteen to create accounts. (PowToon is one of just thousands of websites that have this requirement).
So, if you work with students who are under the age of thirteen, you need to make sure that any web services that you use are COPPA compliant. (The Department of Technology & Media Services regularly vets sites for compliance).