2012/3/8, Kathryn Marks <[email protected]>: > Hi All. > > I'm wondering where BOINC stands on having to comply with Coppa > (http://www.coppa.org/). Boinc itself collects no information, but the > projects do (minimum of email, zip code if so desired). I realize > this is a US only thing and would primarily impact Seti. > > If we do have to comply with coppa, it's easy enough with a brain dead > monkey to get around. But if legally we need to do it, then we need > to do it. David, maybe it's a question you can pose to the legal > department in the University. I tried reading the legalese but I'm a > teacher, not a lawyer. > > The easiest way to comply with coppa is a check box with text reading > something like "By checking this box I certify that I am 13 years of > age or older". > > This came up because someone on the boinc boards asked to have a > thread locked because a kid (age 9) was coming on a bit strong. > However in that thread she introduces herself and gives her name, age > and location. And the boinc boards do collect emails just like the > projects.
As far as I can tell from the FTC website, we're not required to *ask* for age. However, the moment this child posted to the BOINC forums and said she was 9, COPPA considers that "the online service has actual knowledge that they are collecting information from children under the age of 13", which "triggers the requirement that operators obtain verifiable parental consent". Regardless of the law, I think it's a bad idea to allow this kid to keep posting possibly-private stuff on the forum, and especially to contact and be contacted by other people via private message, without her parents knowing it. -- Nicolas _______________________________________________ boinc_dev mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ssl.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/boinc_dev To unsubscribe, visit the above URL and (near bottom of page) enter your email address.
