A Guide to COPPA - UPDATE 14th Jun. 2018

[Derpy Turtle]

Thanks!! This explained so much to me!! I was wondering what a COPPA was!!

[consumptivefawn]

So, if you are a US resident under the age of 13 your parents must to send in a permission slip? I understand that their parents can later on send in a form to unCOPPA them, though.
I also think you missed that COPPA players cannot have signatures.

[tawnypelt3]

I have seen COPPAs with signatures.

Parents of COPPAs only need to send in a permission slip if they want their child to be able to post on the forums. If they don't send a slip, the kid can't post at all.

[Nadine]

I have seen COPPAs with signatures.

Parents of COPPAs only need to send in a permission slip if they want their child to be able to post on the forums. If they don't send a slip, the kid can't post at all.

Those with signatures were regular members who had their accounts switched over after either being found that they lied about their age to evade protection, or upon request.

Sending in a permission slip is not required unless you desire permission to post on the forums.

[tawnypelt3]

I figured it was a possibility but I would like something to prove it.

[nickjr]

I have seen COPPAs with signatures.

Parents of COPPAs only need to send in a permission slip if they want their child to be able to post on the forums. If they don't send a slip, the kid can't post at all.

Those with signatures were regular members who had their accounts switched over after either being found that they lied about their age to evade protection, or upon request.

Sending in a permission slip is not required unless you desire permission to post on the forums.

Could also be players who put in their signature and stuff before the COPPA rule was implemented. Most of the users in the COPPA usergroup that have signatures that I've seen had signed up in 2008, 2009, or very early 2010.

from here (I inserted formatting to highlight the relevant part):

[snip]

A COPPA member. COPPA = Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Basically, under US Law, children under 13 cannot post on a site like this without submitting a signed parent's permission form. So if someone is a COPPA protected member, it means that we know they are under 13 (either by them indicating at sign up, or posting their age somewhere else that we've seen) and as a result we are required to put them in a user group where they are unable to post or send any messages unless they fax or mail us a signed permission slip.

Members who signed up before March 2010 will not have been automatically sorted into the COPPA usergroup, because we didn't know your age at signup. Also technically the law does not apply to non-US citizens, but other countries probably have similar child protection laws.

(And I don't know for sure when CS prompted older users to fill in their birthdate, but it definitely was in April 2010 or later. I went on hiatus in April 2010, and when I came back in August 2011, CS asked me for my birthdate because I apparently hadn't given CS my birthdate by then.)

Also, @tawnypelt, I won't name any usernames, but: I have personally reported someone who claimed they were 12 in a post. I checked back a week later and saw that not only was their age promptly edited out by a staff member, but they had also been placed into the COPPA usergroup. Their trade rules and signature were still there. I think their posting rights actually hadn't been revoked properly, so they got confused and posted a help topic in this forum wondering whether they got COPPA'd or not, because they couldn't do something else that they used to be able to do.

[tawnypelt3]

Okay, makes sense. Thank you for information.

[areadbhar]

Anyone who's seen the 'Trade Rant Thread' has probabily noticed a rant or two about COPPAs. I want to put a stop to these common misconceptions that seem to make some users think that all COPPAs are bad. They're not. So, here we go.[/center]

1) COPPAs can't/don't ever read trade rules and send bad trades.

Not true. COPPA memebers get thanked all the time on the 'Good Trade Thread', and most COPPAs know how to read. I mean really think of most, let's say, 8-13 year olds. I'm pretty sure the majority of them can read. Now, there are some people who just don't read, and do break rules, but the majority of COPPAs can read your rule and will read them.

2)All COPPAs are Noobs/Stupid.

Again, not even close to being true. Most COPPAs are smart. They may not be as smart as you, because your older, and they may make some mistakes (Doesn't everyone make mistakes?), but they aren't all stupid.

This soooo much. We're probably talking about 7-12 year old kids. I'm sure the older ones, like 10-12 are probably smart, the younger ones might be a bit immature, but that's it! (No offense to any COPPA's under 10 reading this, your probably not that immature, and plus, it's because of your age, that's all. )

[CollieKitten]

Question... A COPPA recently sent me trade saying "Hello, I'm a COPPA user and I am unable to type a message: so I have to choose from this selected list.

I saw yor post about giving away free stuff. So I cannot post on your thread or type the code word."

Is this a newly added feature or am I bein tricked or of a free pet from someone who is unwilling to post/use the codeword??

[tawnypelt3]

COPPAs now have pre-made messages to choose from when sending trades. You can read the announcement here: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2319381