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  3. Permission, Authentication and Verification

Why do children need permission?

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States requires that operators of websites, apps and other online services must first obtain a parent’s VERIFIABLE permission before they are allowed to collect from a child 12 or under any personally identifiable information (PII). PII might be necessary to engage in activities such as to join or receive alerts from a site, app, game and/or online service. In some cases due to other laws, even a minor (under 18) to engage in activities where they might share their personal information.

The EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has set the age of consent at 16, meaning users 15 years and younger need parent consent where applicable. However, member states can choose a younger age down to 13. Developers will need to prove that consent is valid, that it is informed and granular and that they have methods in place to allow parents to exercise their rights in relation to children.