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If you’re a new website operator or you own a business website that children under 13 may use, you need to understand and comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. This act was passed on April 21, 2000 to protect the privacy as well as the safety of children under the age of 13 who use the Internet.

COPPA outlines specific requirements website operators
must adhere to, and ignorance is no defense when it comes to COPPA. If you violate the rules outlined in this important Act, you could be charged up to $11,000 per violation.

The rules outlined in COPPA regarding the responsibilities of web operators are very clear. Every website owner or operator should be able to understand the Act completely by reading through it, but if you have questions or doubts about compliance or whether or not your rules apply to your website, don’t leave it to chance.

Regardless of whether or not you operate a site aimed at children under 13 or collect any personal information at all online, you should read and understand the COPPA. If you are operating a website or an online business, it is your responsibility to abide by COPPA, but you can also use your knowledge to look out for other web sites that could be violating the Act. It’s the least you can do to help keep kids safe online.

If you do operate a website that is aimed at children under the age of 13, it is imperative that you completely understand this Act and are positive you are abiding by every rule outlining your responsibilities. If you’re not sure, the easiest way to find out is by seeking assistance from the FTC. You can refer to the FTC’s COPPA website which you can access online. If you have a question about the Act or your responsibilities, pick up the phone and call the COPPA Compliance Information Line at 202-326-3140.

What are some of the Website Operator requirements outlined in COPPA? Websites must post a privacy policy in accordance with COPPA guidelines. Any website directed towards children that collects information from kids under13 must disclose their information collection practices. This disclosure must be created and even placed on your website in a very specific way that is outlined in COPPA. Some websites also must obtain parental consent before they collect, use or disclose personal information about a child under the age of 13.

This is a general overview of three of the types of regulations COPPA holds website operators to, and there are more. You are not necessarily excluded from regulations if you have what you believe to be a general audience website. The only way you will know for certain whether or not COPPA applies to your website is to obtain a copy of the Act and read through it thoroughly. You can also obtain a very helpful COPPA checklist online through the FTC.

You may or may not agree that it is every Internet user’s responsibility to help protect children’s privacy and ensure their safety online, but it is undoubtedly the responsibility of every web operator. It only takes a small investment of your time to read through the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

Make the effort today to ensure your websites are in compliance with FTC regulations, and learn how to spot potentially dangerous websites that could be threatening the privacy of children online.

Learn more about complying with laws governing Websites and Internet businesses. Download your Web Legal Kit at http://www.weblegalkit.com.

Understand the basics regarding Privacy, Disclaimer, and Contact Page Generators and much more.

Is your website accessible to people with disabilities? It seems like today, website owners are more concerned with mobile web design than they are with making their sites available to the millions of people around the world with disabilities. It makes sense from a business perspective to make your website as accessible as possible to everyone, but it is also becoming a legal matter and much for many businesses and organizations.

The World Wide Web is classified as a form of Information and Communications Technology, or ICT. Laws and policies regarding ICT accessibility that are already in existence are being considered in terms of the Internet. In addition, more and more legislation addressing ICT accessibility is being enacted around the world.

Although the Internet is for the most part unregulated, laws can apply to the Web as ICT. Many countries currently have government laws, policies, regulations and recommendations in place regarding Web accessibility. An abbreviated list of these countries includes: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Spain the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and Internet Accessibility

In the United States, rulings regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) resulted in the determination that State as well as local governments and the business sector must provide “effective communication” during Internet communications.

A significant point of the ADA policy rulings is that communications in graphical format are almost impossible for people with visual disabilities to understand. Screenreaders cannot make sense of graphic images: text format is absolutely essential, including text for navigational tools, graphs, tables and charts.

You can find out more about the ADA and rulings regarding the Internet at the US Department of Justice (USDOJ) website.

Implementing Universal Design

Whether laws are governing your website today or not, it is in your best interest to make your site accessible to all Internet users - especially if it is a business website. How can you accomplish this? By implementing the elements of Universal Design on all of your web pages. Your entire website will then be available to the widest range of Internet users possible, regardless of the type of technology or equipment they use, disabilities, age, or level of education.

The following are some of the specific ways you can apply Universal Design principles to your website:

1. Provide text browser support

2. Present documents in text format rather than in frames or PDF

3. Avoid requiring visitors to download software to view information

4. Add “Alt” tags to your graphics so screenreaders can “read” images

5. Hyperlink all photos with descriptive text

6. Hyperlink video and audio clips with captioning

7. Provide email or voice/TTY phone number alternatives for on-line forms

8. Avoid relying on color to convey information

You can obtain more complete information about website accessibility guidelines from resources such as W3 online.

Depending on your skills, you may or may not need assistance redesigning or developing your next website for full accessibility. Whether you make changes to your website design yourself or rely on professional assistance, remember to evaluate the results.

There are many free evaluation tools available online that can help you test web pages on your site for accessibility. For a comprehensive evaluation that would ensure compliance with web accessibility laws, you will need to rely on the expertise of a knowledgeable professional as well as evaluation tools.

Additional Benefits of Web Accessibility

Whether you need to bring your website to full web accessibility standards to comply with legal requirements, or you’re primarily interested in providing access to those with disabilities, you’ll discover some surprising additional benefits.

A website with a flexible design is more accessible to people browsing the Web with limited technology, such as dial-up Internet connections or outdated computers. Your fully accessible website will also be available to those with temporary disabilities, such as people recovering from surgery or accidents. With the right equipment, even people with limited or no literacy skills will be able to browse your website.

Regardless of what type of website you have, focusing on web accessibility will benefit your visitors as well as your business in a variety of ways.

Learn more about complying with laws governing Websites and Internet businesses. Download your Web Legal Kit at http://www.weblegalkit.com.

Understand the basics regarding Privacy, Disclaimer, and Contact Page Generators and much more.

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