Children's Privacy Notice (COPPA)

Last Updated: January 2026

Our Commitment to Children's Privacy

USA Web School is committed to protecting the privacy of children. As a nonprofit focused on education and community service that serves K-12 students, we take special precautions to protect the personal information of children under 13 years of age in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Information Collection from Children

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. Our website and services are designed with the following safeguards:

Account Creation

  • Students cannot self-register. All accounts for minors must be created by parents, legal guardians, or authorized school administrators.
  • We require verification that the person creating an account for a minor has appropriate authority.
  • Schools may create accounts under the school consent provision, consistent with FERPA requirements.

Educational Programs

When students participate in our educational programs:

  • We collect only the minimum information necessary for program participation
  • Parental or school consent is obtained before any data collection
  • No personal information is used for marketing or advertising to children

Information We May Collect (With Consent)

With proper parental or school consent, we may collect:

  • Student's first name (last name only if necessary)
  • Age or grade level
  • School name
  • Parent/guardian contact information
  • Educational progress and assessment data

How We Use Children's Information

Information collected from or about children is used solely for:

  • Educational program delivery and participation
  • Progress tracking and reporting to parents/guardians
  • Program improvement and educational research (anonymized)
  • Communicating with parents/guardians about their child's participation

What We Do NOT Do

  • No behavioral advertising: We never target advertising to children
  • No data selling: We never sell children's personal information
  • No unnecessary collection: We collect only what's needed for educational purposes
  • No third-party marketing: Children's data is never shared for marketing purposes
  • No social features: Children cannot publicly share personal information through our platform

Parental Consent

How We Obtain Consent

Before collecting personal information from children under 13, we obtain verifiable parental consent through:

  • Signed consent forms (paper or electronic)
  • Email confirmation with follow-up verification
  • School consent under FERPA provisions for educational purposes

School Consent

In educational settings, schools may provide consent on behalf of parents for the collection of student information necessary for educational purposes, consistent with:

  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • The school's own privacy policies and agreements with parents

Parental Rights

Parents and legal guardians have the right to:

Review

Request to review the personal information we have collected about their child.

Delete

Request that we delete their child's personal information from our records.

Refuse Further Collection

Request that we stop collecting information from their child and/or refuse to allow the information to be used for any purpose beyond what was originally consented to.

Consent Withdrawal

Withdraw consent at any time. Note that this may limit the child's ability to participate in certain programs.

Data Retention for Children

We retain children's personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the educational purpose for which it was collected. When data is no longer needed:

  • Personal information is securely deleted
  • Aggregate, anonymized data may be retained for program improvement

Third-Party Services

We limit the use of third-party services when children's data is involved. Any third parties we work with must:

  • Comply with COPPA requirements
  • Use the information solely for the educational service provided
  • Not use the data for their own purposes
  • Maintain appropriate security measures

Security Measures

We implement enhanced security measures for children's data:

  • Encryption of all personal information
  • Restricted access to children's data
  • Regular security audits
  • Staff training on children's privacy

Exercising Parental Rights

To exercise any of your rights regarding your child's information, please contact us:

We will verify your identity as the parent or guardian before processing your request. Please be prepared to provide:

  • Your name and contact information
  • Your child's name
  • Proof of parental relationship if requested

Updates to This Notice

We may update this Children's Privacy Notice to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. We will notify parents of material changes through email or prominent website notice.

Questions or Concerns

If you have questions about our children's privacy practices, please contact:

USA Web School
Charlotte, NC
Email: [email protected]

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