MyTeenspace.com

COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) is a legal requirement for MyT because the platform targets users as young as 13 and collects personal information. While federal COPPA strictly applies to children under 13, new 2025 amendments and state-level "COPPA 2.0" rules often extend these protections to teenagers up to age 17.

Verifiable Parental Consent (VPC)

For users aged 13 - 15, MyT must obtain "verifiable" consent from a parent before any personal data is collected or shared. Approved methods via VeraSafe include:

Government ID Matching:

Parents upload a photo of their ID, which is compared against a live photo of their face using facial recognition.

Knowledge-Based Authentication

Parents answer dynamic, multiple-choice questions that a child would be unlikely to guess.

"Text-Plus" Method

A consent request is sent via SMS, followed by a confirmatory text or phone call to verify the parent's identity.

Monetary Transaction

Using a credit card or online payment system that notifies the primary account holder of the transaction.

Data Minimization & Retention

Under the 2025 COPPA Rule Updates, MyT is legally prohibited from keeping teen data indefinitely.

Specific Purpose: Data must only be retained for as long as "reasonably necessary" to fulfill the specific purpose it was collected for (e.g., SAT tutoring or athletic scouting).
Deletion Protocol: MyT must establish a written Data Retention Policy that includes a clear timeframe for the secure deletion of inactive or closed accounts.
Verification Data: Any IDs or photos uploaded for age verification must be promptly deleted once the verification is successful.

Direct Notice to Parents

Before a 13 - 15-year-old can use the "New Friend Matching" or FaceTime features, MyT must send a Direct Notice to the parent that includes:

✓ The specific items of personal information to be collected (e.g., name, photo, school).
✓ A clear statement that the parent can consent to internal use of data while opting out of disclosure to third parties.
✓ A hyperlink to the MyT Privacy Policy.
✓ The exact method the parent will use to provide their verifiable consent.

"Eraser Button" Requirement

To comply with emerging "COPPA 2.0" standards, MyT must provide an Eraser Button. This is a feature that allows teens or their parents to easily request the full deletion of their personal information and any content they have posted from the platform's servers.

Would you like a draft of the Direct Notice Email that will be sent to parents when a 13-15-year-old signs up for MyT?