COPPAandCIPA

StudentPrivacyandInternetSafetyCollaborationProject:
TheKeyElementsofCIPAandCOPPA
WendyPettiesandKellyRockey
TeachersCollegeofSanJoaquin

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StudentPrivacyandInternetSafety
Wearelivinginadigitalageandtechnologycontinuestoadvanceatarapidpace.In
ordertosucceedinhighereducationandbeemployable,studentstodayneedtoreceive
instructionintechnologystartingatthetimetheyenterelementaryeducation.Federallawshave
beenpassedtoensurethatstudentsareprotectedwhentheyaccesstheinternetatschool.All
schooldistrictsmustcomplywiththesestandardsinordertoreceivespecialfundingandavoid
possiblelegalactionifthesestandardsarenotmet.
TheChildrensOnlinePrivacyProtectionAct
Onbehalfofandinprotectionofchildrenunderage13,TheChildrensOnlinePrivacy
ProtectionAct(COPPA),wasenactedin1998.Althoughitisforstudentsunderage13,itis
goodpracticetofollowtheseproceduresforallstudentsthroughoutthedistrict,regardlessof
age.COPPAisafederallawgovernedbytheFederalTradeCommission(FTC),controlling
informationcollectedbycompaniesoperatingwebsitesandmobileapplications.
CollectionofStudentDataisPresumedandWhatisConsideredPersonalInformation?
UnderCOPPA,privacypoliciesmustbepostedandparentalconsentobtainedpriorto
companiescollectinginformationfromchildren.Informationconsideredprivateisnotlimitedto
name,address,phonenumber,photo/video,SSN,andanyotherindividualidentifiable
information.Assoonasyourchildenterspreschool,informationiscollectedabouthimorher.1
Ineducation,theLEAsmayconsentonbehalfofchildrenforstrictlyeducationalpurposesandit
isrecommendedunderCOPPAthatanoticebepostedonLEAwebsitesthatlistuser
applications.

"Children'sOnlinePrivacy:AResourceGuideforParents|Privacy..."2013.14Jul.2016
<https://www.privacyrights.org/childrensonlineprivacyaresourceguideforparents>

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LEAsMustBeProvidedInformationUponRequestandParentalOptOutOption
Priortoanoperatorofacommercialwebsitetocollectstudentdata,theschoolmustbe
providednoticesrequiredunderCOPPAandtheinformationbelimitedtoeducationalcontext
authorizedbytheLEAandtheparent.TheLEAcanrequestandshallensurethatstudent
informationisdeletedifnolongerneededbythewebsiteoperators.TheseareFTC
recommendedBestPractices.Inaddition,itisrecommendedthattheLEAistoaskseveral
questionsofpotentialoperatorstoprotectstudents.Thequestionsareregardingpersonal
informationandhowitwillbeused,ifitwillbesharedcommercially,willtheLEAbeableto
reviewanddeleteandtakemeasurestoprotectsecurityandconfidentiality.Parentsmustbeable
todeclineinvolvementintheirchildsdisclosureofpersonalinformationforpurposesof
marketingorsellingandtheLEAmustprovidethisoptoutoption.Itisrecommendedthatstaff
betrainedinknowingwhichwebsiteshavebeenconsentedbytheLEA
TheChildrensInternetProtectionAct
TheChildren'sInternetProtectionAct(CIPA)wasenactedbyCongressin2000to
addressconcernsaboutchildren'saccesstoobsceneorharmfulcontentovertheInternet.2
ThroughCIPA,schoolscanreceivediscountsontheirinternetaccessthroughafederalErate
programiftheycancertifythatthehaveaninternetsafetypolicyinplace.Aninternetsafety
policyistoensurethesecurityofminorswhileparticipatinginonlinecomputeractivitieswhile
usingtheschoolnetwork.Onceaschoolhasaproposedinternetaccesspolicy,theymustholdan
openpublicmeetingtodiscusstheproposedpolicyinordertocomplywithCIPAregulations.

(2015).Children'sInternetProtectionAct|FederalCommunicationsCommission.RetrievedJuly14,2016,
fromhttps://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrensinternetprotectionact.

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CertificationRequirementstoReceiveErateFunding
Inordertomeetcertification,aninternetsafetypolicymustincludehowinternetcontent
willbefilteredattheschool.FilteringisrequiredforallInternetenabledcomputerswhether
usedbyminorsoradults.3 Contentthatisdeemedtobeharmful,pornographicorobscenemust
beblockedfromaccess.Allminorsmustbemonitoredwhiletheyareaccessingtheinternet
throughtheschoolnetwork.Theremustalsobeeducationforminorsonhowtousetheinternet
inasafeandappropriateway.Specificteachingneedstoincludehowtosafelyinteractwith
otherpeoplethroughnetworkingandsocialsitesandanawarenessofcyberbullying.
AreasAddressedbytheInternetSafetyPolicy
Theinternetsafetypolicymuststatewhatmeasuresarebeingtakentorestricttheaccess
ofinappropriatematerialsbyminors.Itmustalsoaddresshowtoensurethatpersonal
informationconcerningminorsisprotected.Thepolicyalsooverseeshackingandillegal
activitiesbyminorswhiletheyareonline.Lastly,thepolicylooksatthesafetyandsecurityof
minorswhengainingaccesstotheinternetandallformsofdirectelectroniccommunication.
Conclusion
Studentstodaywillbeexposedtotheinternetonadailybasisthroughtheirschool
instruction.Itiscrucialforallschooladministratorsandeducatorstobeawareofthefederallaw
mandatedforstudentsafetyandprivacywhileusingtheschoolnetwork.Schoolscanreceive
monetarydiscountsfortheircompliancetotheselaws,buttheycanalsobepenalizedfornot
meetingthestandardsthatensurethesafetyandsecurityoftheirstudents.

"CIPAChecklistERateCentral."2011.14Jul.2016<http://eratecentral.com/CIPA/cipa_checklist.pdf>

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References
CIPAcompliancechecklist.(2011)Retrievedfrom
http://eratecentral.com/CIPA/cipa_checklist.pdf
Factsheet21:childrensonlineprivacy:aresourceguideforparents.
(2014,December)Retrievedfrom
https://www.privacyrights.org/childrensonlineprivacyaresourceguideforparents
FagenFriedman&FulfrostLLP.(2015)Dataprivacyguidebook.Retrievedfrom
http://www.f3law.com/resources.php?id=155&rs_id=68
FederalCommunicationsCommission.(2015,November3)Children'sinternetprotectionact.
Retrievedfromhttps://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrensinternetprotectionact.