Abstract:
An improved system and method enable website operators and online service providers to verify parental approval for access by underage users, e.g., for compliance with COPPA. The system and method herein also enable parents to monitor what sites their children have approval to visit; enable parents to withdraw approval at any time for any site(s) previously approved using the system and method described herein; and enable website operators/online service providers to admit or prevent children from logging in or accessing online services or content based on real time parental approval data.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/613,044 filed Mar. 20, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to the field of parental consent, e.g., for purposes of COPPA compliance, and more particularly, to a system and method which enable Internet service or content providers to verify parent or guardian consent in connection with the online collection of information from children under the age of 13 and their online participation. 
     The Children&#39;s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regulates the online collection of personal information from children less than 13 years of age. The primary goal of the COPPA Rule is to give parents control over what information is collected from their children online and how such information may be used. The Rule applies to operators of websites and online services directed to children under 13, as well as to general audience websites that knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. 
     The method currently in use for compliance is typically “email plus.” The “email plus” mechanism allows a website operator to request that the parent provide consent in an email message. However, this mechanism requires an additional step after receiving the parent&#39;s email consent to confirm that it was, in fact, the parent who provided consent (the “plus” factor). These additional steps include: (1) requesting in the initial email seeking consent that the parent include a phone or fax number or mailing address in the reply email, so that follow up is possible to confirm consent via telephone, fax, or postal mail; or (2) after a reasonable time delay, sending another, confirmatory email to the parent to confirm consent, wherein the confirmatory email contains all of the original information contained in the direct notice and informs the parent that he or she can revoke the consent as well as how to revoke the consent. This method is very open to fraud and imposes considerable administrative costs on the web site owner. In addition, the “email plus” mechanism of obtaining parental consent is only available to operators that collect personal information for internal use only. 
     In December 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued final amendments to the COPPA Rule, the first extensive revision by the FTC since COPPA become effective in 2000. 
     The FTC&#39;s amendments include the following revisions and clarifications:
         Modified or expanded definitions of the terms “operator,” “personal information,” and “website or online service directed to children.”   The definition of “personal information” in COPPA has been expanded to include not only traditional data points (e.g., name, address, email address, etc.), but also IP addresses, device identifiers, website cookies, internal customer ID numbers (such as a panelist ID), geolocation information, screen names/user names, photographs, video, and audio containing a child&#39;s image or voice, and mobile device unique identifiers.   the definition of “collects or collection” has been updated to include of passively collecting personal information from children online, irrespective of the technology used and not merely personal information that is mandatory to participate.   A new compliance option is available for a subset of websites and online services that are considered “directed to children,” but do not target children as their primary audience in which the COPPA Rule applies only to visitors who self-identify as under age 13; whereas, websites or online services whose primary target audience is children must continue to presume that all users are children.   In additional to traditional websites and online services, third parties such as mobile application developers, software plug-in developers, and advertising networks that gather information from children under 13 are also responsible for obtaining parental permission before allowing children to use their services.       

     Thus, it would be desirable to provide an online parental verification system and method which provides a streamlined mechanism for providing notice and obtaining parental consent as well as providing a mechanism for parents to withdraw consent or manage their children&#39;s accounts. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an improved system and method for ensuring COPPA compliance which enable website operators and online service providers to comply with the law; enable parents to monitor what sites their children have approval to visit; enable parents to withdraw approval at any time for any site(s) previously approved using the system and method described herein; and enable website operators/online service providers to admit or prevent children from logging in or accessing online services or content based on real time parental approval data. 
     In one aspect, a method is provided, which includes receiving, in a computing device, a request to access content on a computer network, the request including an indication that the request is by an underage user. A page for submitting contact information for a parent of the underage user is presented to the underage user by the computing device. An electronic communication is transmitted to the parent of the underage user by the computing device, the electronic communication including a link to a website of a third party validator, the website of the third party validator including an interface allowing the parent to grant approval of the underage user to access the content. The interface receives input of one or more items of personal information associated with the parent for validation of the parent&#39;s identity by the third party validator. An indication from the third party validator of whether or not the parent&#39;s identity has been validated based on the one or more items of personal information is received in the computing device. If the parent&#39;s identity has been validated, the underage user is allowed to access the content. 
     In a more limited aspect, the content is selected from an Internet website and a mobile application. 
     In another more limited aspect, if the parent&#39;s identity has been validated, the parent is informed that the parent&#39;s identity has been validated. 
     In another more limited aspect, if the parent&#39;s identity has been validated, the parent is provided with instructions for logging on to the third party validator website for reviewing and/or withdrawing the approval. 
     In yet another more limited aspect, information indicating whether a prior approval has been withdrawn by the parent is received from the third party validator prior to allowing the underage user to access the content. If the prior approval has been withdrawn by the parent, the underage user is notified that approval has been withdrawn and the underage user is denied access to the content. 
     In still another more limited aspect, if the parent&#39;s identity has not been validated, the underage user is denied access to the content. 
     In another more limited aspect, if the parent&#39;s identity has not been validated, the parent is informed that the one or more items of personal information could not be verified and, optionally, the parent is presented with one or more opportunities to grant approval to the underage user to access the content. 
     In still another more limited aspect, the one or more opportunities to grant approval to the underage user to access the content are selected from one or more of an interface for the parent to enter the parent&#39;s full or partial (e.g., last four digits) social security number; an interface for a spouse of the parent to enter one or more items of personal information associated with the spouse for verification of the spouse&#39;s identity by the third party validator; and, an interface for another relative of the underage user to enter one or more items of personal information associated with the relative for verification of the relative&#39;s identity by the third party validator. 
     In yet another more limited aspect, the one or more items of personal information associated with the parent are selected from any one or more of the parent&#39;s name, address, phone number, date of birth, and last four digits of the parent&#39;s social security number. 
     In a further more limited aspect, the content is a website that requires users to register personal information with the website prior to accessing the website. 
     In still a further more limited aspect, the indication that the request is by an underage user is an indication that the user is under 13 years of age. 
     In yet another more limited aspect, the one or more items of personal information includes address information, and the method further includes using an IP address of the parent to identify a geographic location of the parent; comparing the geographic location of the parent to the address information; and, if the geographic location is inconsistent with the address information, determining that the parent identity cannot be validated. 
     In still another more limited aspect, an IP address of the parent is used to identify a geographic location of the parent; an IP address of the underage user is used to identify a geographic location of the underage user; and, if the geographic location of the parent is inconsistent with the geographic location of the underage user, it is determined that the parent identity cannot be validated. 
     In yet another more limited aspect, the number of underage users associated with the parent and/or the number of websites approved for the underage user are monitored and if the number of underage users associated with the parent or exceeds a predetermined threshold and/or the number of sites for the underage user exceed a predetermined threshold, an indication of nonvalidation of the parent&#39;s identity is returned. 
     In another aspect, a method of verifying parental approval to access of content by an underage user includes receiving, in a computing device, a request to verify personal information of the parent disclosed by a parent in association with said parental approval. The identity of the parent is validated using the personal information disclosed by determining whether the disclosed parental information matches information associated with the parent stored in an information database managed by a third party. If the identity of the parent is validated, the parent is informed that the identity of the parent was validated and that the child has access to the requested website. If the identity of the parent cannot be validated, the parent is informed that the identity of the parent could not be validated. 
     In a more limited aspect, if the identity of the parent cannot be validated, the parent is requested, using the computing device, to input additional information associated with the parent and/or of another person authorized to grant approval for the underage user to access the content. 
     In another aspect, an identity validation system for verifying approval of a parent granted to allow an underage user to access content on a computer network includes a processor for executing program code and memory combined with the processor for storing the program code. A user interface receives one or more items of personal information associated with the parent. A verification module validates the identity of the parent by comparing the one or more items of personal information with information associated with the identity stored in an information database managed by a third party and a parent module includes computer storage that associates currently approved content with the underage user. In a more limited aspect, the parent module associates currently approved content for a plurality of underage users associated with the parent. In another more limited aspect, the parent module includes a user interface for receiving parental input withdrawing a previously granted approval. In yet another more limited aspect, the parent module includes a user interface for receiving parental input reapproving a previously withdrawn approval. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above, and the description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following is a brief description of each drawing used to describe the present invention, and thus, is being presented for illustration purposes only and should not be limitative of the scope of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a hardware system generally representative of a computer-based information handling system of a type operable to embody the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram outlining the sign up process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram outlining the verification process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is flow diagram illustrating the operation of a parent portal in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for the parent portal. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram depicting an exemplary networked, computer-based information handling system  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The information handling system  100  includes one or more network servers or server systems  110  interconnected with one or more remotely located client computer systems, including a client computer system  120  configured to allow a user, such as a child user  122  (e.g., a child under the age of 13), to access online content or services provided by an internet service or content provider  140 , for example, using a web browser over a network  160  such as the Internet. 
     The illustrated embodiment also depicts a second client computer system  130  operated by the child&#39;s parent(s) or guardian(s)  132  connected with the network  160 , although it will be recognized that the present development can also be employed where the parent and child utilize a common computer system. The server computer system may be the server system of a third party verification service provider, such as ChildGuardOnline SM . The server computer system  110  includes verification software in accordance with this disclosure. Servers  150  connected to the network  160  may be third party information service providers or data vendors, such as EXPERIAN, AXIOM, and others. The server computer systems  110 ,  140 ,  150 , and the client computer systems  120 ,  130  and may be, for example, a computer-based information handling system  200  as described below by way of reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     Although one child user  122  is shown for ease of exposition, it will be recognized that the present system and method allows the parent/guardian users  132  to grant and withdraw consent for any number (or all) of their children/wards. Likewise, only one parent user  132  and one website server  140  are shown for the sake of brevity and it will be recognized that the present system and method is intended for use by any number of parents  132  and any number of website operators or online service providers  140 . Unless stated otherwise, the term “parent” used herein is also intended to encompass legal guardians and others acting in a similar capacity. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , although the present invention will be described primarily herein by way of reference to a personal computer equipped with a web browser, it will be recognized that the present invention may be implemented in any type of computer-based information handling system, including but not limited to general purpose or personal computers, workstations, hand-held computers, convergence systems, information appliances, Internet appliances, Internet televisions, Internet telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal information managers (PIMs), portable communication devices such as portable or mobile telephones, smart phones, hand-held devices, PDAs, or the like, having a wired or wireless network connection or capability, web browser (including wireless web browser) equipped devices, and so forth. 
     The network connection  160  may be an Internet connection made using the World Wide Web, although it will be recognized that the network interconnections depicted generally as  160  connecting the servers  110 ,  140 ,  150  and the remote client systems  120 ,  130  may include, for example, a local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), personal area network (PAN), and the like, and interconnections thereof. 
     In the depicted preferred embodiment, the server computer system  140  and the client computer system  120 , interact by exchanging information via the network  160  using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests to access web pages identified by uniform resource locators (URLs). Similarly, the server computer system  110  and the client computer system  130  interact via the network  160  using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests to access the parent portal for managing the parent&#39;s online consents. An exemplary parent portal web page is depicted in  FIG. 6 . The server  110  provides the requested web page to the client computer system  130  for display, e.g., using a browser, as is generally known in the art. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there appears an exemplary information handling system  200  operable to embody the server  110  hardware of the present disclosure for running the verification software and configured to operate in the computer network  160 . It will be recognized that the hardware configuration shown in  FIG. 2  is likewise representative of an exemplary hardware configuration of the server system  140 , the client computers  120 ,  130 , and so forth. The hardware system  200  is generally representative of a computer-based information handling system, such as a PC, workstation, a mini-computer, mainframe computer, or the like. 
     The hardware system  200  includes a central processing system  240 , a memory  242 , one or more storage devices or auxiliary memory  244 , one or more input devices  246 , a network interface  248 , a communications interface  250 , and a display system  252  operably connected by a bus  254 . 
     The hardware system  200  is controlled by the central processing system  240 , which may include a central processing unit such as a microprocessor or microcontroller for executing programs, performing data manipulations and controlling the tasks of the hardware system. The processor  240  can be any suitable Intel, AMD, Motorola, or Sun processor, or the like. Communication with the central processor  240  is implemented through the system bus  254  for transferring information among the components of the hardware system. 
     The main memory  242  provides storage of instructions and data for programs executing on the central processing system  240 . The main memory  242  is typically semiconductor-based memory as would be generally understood by persons skilled in the art. The storage devices  244  may include semiconductor based memory such as read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, and so forth. The storage devices  244  may also include a variety of nonsemiconductor-based memories, including but not limited to hard disk, floppy disc, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and so forth. 
     The display system  252  may comprise a display device and a video display adapter having the components for driving a display device, including video memory, buffer, and graphics engine as desired. The display device may comprise a video monitor such as a cathode ray-tube (CRT) display, liquid-crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display, gas or plasma display, and so forth. The input devices  246  may include devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touch pad, and so forth. 
     The network interface  248  may be connected to a network such as the network  160  appearing in  FIG. 1 , which may include a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), personal area network (PAN), the Internet, and interconnections thereof, to communicate to other computers, external devices, networks, or information sources on the network  160 . The network interface  248  may be a network adapter implementing, for example, Ethernet IEEE 802 standards (e.g., IEEE 802.3 for broadband and baseband networks, IEEE 802.3z for Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.4 for token passing bus networks, IEEE 802.5 for token ring networks, IEEE 802.6 for metropolitan area networks, IEEE 802.15 for personal area networks, and so on). 
     The communications interface  250  may be connected to a network, such as the network  160  for communication with other computers or devices using an ISP and/or a dial up phone system to connect to the network. The communications interface  250  can be a modem, digital subscriber line (DSL), asymmetric digital subscriber line (ASDL), frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), integrated digital services network (ISDN), personal communications services (PCS), transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), serial line Internet protocol/point to point protocol (SLIP/PPP), and so on. It should be appreciated that the hardware system  200  of  FIG. 2  is illustrative and exemplary only. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary parental consent verification method  300  begins at step  304  when the child user  122  starts a registration or sign in process to access a website or online content on the Internet service or content provider&#39;s server  140 , e.g., by attempting to establish a user name and password for that site. At step  308 , the child  122  is presented by the server  140  with a page that asks for the name and email address of a parent or guardian. The child  122  enters that information and is told that their parent or guardian ( 132 ) will receive an email with instructions for granting permission. 
     At step  312 , an email is sent to the parent  132  informing the parent that the child has requested permission to establish an account on, and provide personal information to, the website  140  and at step  316  the email is received by the parent  132 . Preferably, the email will come from the website  140 , for example, to make the parent comfortable and to avoid spam filtering. It will be recognized, however, that the email could come from the verification service provider  110 . A link or URL to a page which the parent  132  may use to grant permission is provided in the email. A link or URL to the site  140  may also be furnished in the email to provide the parent with an opportunity to review the site prior to granting or denying permission. Alternatively, the child could be asked to input the parent&#39;s mobile telephone number and a message containing link for providing approval could be sent to the patent in an SMS message or similar electronic communication to a browser-enabled mobile phone or smart phone. 
     At step  320 , the parent clicks on the link in the email or otherwise accesses the web page  140  for parent approval. To confirm the identity (and other information about the parent, such as age) the parent will be asked for certain information. In a preferred embodiment, the requested information will include parent&#39;s name, address, phone number, date of birth, and last four digits of their social security number. The link or URL for granting parental permission may link to a web page on the server  140 , wherein the collected data is forwarded to the server  110  for verification. Alternatively, the link or URL for granting parental permission may link directly to a web page on the server  110 . Preferably, the parent is also informed at this time that if permission is granted, the parent may review or withdraw permission at any time by visiting the parent portal on the server  110 . 
     At step  324 , the server system  110  validates the identity of the parent  132  based on the parent information provided at step  320 . The information may be verified by determining whether the personal information of the parent provided at step  320  matches or is consistent with data for that identity using one or more commercially available third party data brokers, aggregators, or like information services providers. Exemplary third party database or information service providers include EXPERIAN, AXIOM, credit bureaus, or the like. In preferred embodiments, the parental identification verification at step  324  is performed in real time or near real time. 
     At step  328 , it is determined whether the parent&#39;s identity has been validated. If the system verifies that the information provided at step  320  is consistent with the third party data for the parental identity being validated, the process proceeds to step  332  and the parent is informed, e.g., by displaying in a web page displayed in a browser window on the parent computer system  130  that the child has been approved for the site. The child may then register to use or access the site or online content, which may include establishing a user account accessible with a user ID and/or password. At step  336 , instructions may be provided to the parent  132  informing the parent  132  as to how the parent may access the parent portal on the server  110  for the purpose of reviewing and/or withdrawing the approval and any other approvals granted using the present system. 
     If it is determined at step  328  that the parent identity could not be validated based on the information provided at step  320 , the process instead proceeds to step  340 , wherein the parent is informed that the information provided by the parent could not be validated, and to step  344 , wherein the parent  132  whose identity could not be validated is presented with the opportunity to provide additional identification information. Such additional information may include, for example, his or her full social security number. Alternatively or in addition, the parent  132  is presented with an opportunity to have a spouse or close relative supply their information (e.g., name, address, phone number, date of birth, and last four digits of their social security number). The process may then return to step  324  and repeat the validation step using the additional information provided. 
     In certain embodiments, additional information may be used to verify the parent identification and guard against fraud. For example, in certain embodiment, the location of the parent, e.g., as determined by the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the parent computer system  130 , is compared to the parent address information submitted. In such embodiments, if the geographic location as determined by the IP address does not correspond with the parent address information provided, the system may determine that the parent identity cannot be validated as detailed above. 
     Alternatively or in addition to verifying the IP address geographic location, the verification system may monitor the number of children associated with a particular parent or guardian and/or the number of web sites approved for a particular child (or children of a particular parent) and may return an indication of non-validation in the event the number of children for a parent and/or the number of sites for a child exceed some predetermined threshold value. In addition or as an alternative to any of the fraud prevention measures noted above, the geographic location of the child (e.g., as determined by the IP address of the child computer system  120 ) can be compared to the parent&#39;s location (e.g., as determined by the IP address of the parent computer system  130 ) such that if the geographic location of the child is not sufficiently close to the location of the parent, the system may determine that the parent identity cannot be validated as detailed above. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a flow diagram outlining an exemplary verification process  400 . At step  404 , the child  122  visits the web site  140  and enters log in information for his or her account. At step  408 , the web site  140  calls the verification software hosted on the server system  110  to determine whether the child  122  associated with the account has parental consent for the website  140 . At step  412 , the verification server system  110  determines whether the child has parental consent for the web site  140 . If the parental consent has already been obtained and verified (i.e., using the process  300  outlined in  FIG. 3 ), the process proceeds to step  416  and the child is allowed to access the site  140 . 
     If it is determined at step  412  that parent approval has not been obtained (e.g., if the parental data has not been successfully obtained and verified as detailed above), the process proceeds to step  420  and the child is redirected to the sign up process (see  FIG. 3 , step  304 ). Finally, if it is determined at step  412  that previously granted and verified parental consent for the site  140  has been withdrawn by the parent  132 , the process proceeds to step  424  wherein a message is displayed on the child computer system  120  that the approval has been withdrawn by the parent  132 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 ,  FIG. 5  is a flow chart outlining an exemplary method  500  for allowing the parent  132  to review and, if desired, withdraw approvals previously granted using the verification system herein.  FIG. 6  is an exemplary user interface  600  for the parent portal on the server  110  and accessible by parent users  132  via the network  160 . 
     At  504  the parent logs on to the server system  110 , preferably using a secure protocol such as secure socket layer (SSL) or the like. At  508 , the parent  132  may view a list  610  of sites that have been approved for the child  122  and any other children for whom they have provided authorization (collectively,  602 ). At  512 , the parent may selectively withdraw consent for any sites which were previously approved. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the prior consent may be withdrawn by clicking on a link  604 , or other on-screen object, such as button, check box or the like. As  516 , the parent may selectively re-approve previously withdrawn sites, e.g., by clicking on a link or other on screen object  606 . 
     The exemplary interface  600  allows the parent to view the approval/withdrawal history via the approval date column  608  and withdrawal date column  612 , although other formats are contemplated for viewing and navigating the parent portal, such as hyperlinks to additional web pages, tabbed windows, pop up windows, or the like. At  520 , a link or other object  614  may be provided to allow the parent user  132  to contact the operator of the server system  110 , e.g., for the purpose of obtaining customer service or otherwise managing the parental account. 
     The present systems and methods herein can be implemented as sets of instructions resident in the main memory of one or more computer systems. Until required by the computer system, the set of instructions may be stored in another computer readable memory such as a hard disk drive or in a removable memory such as an optical disk for utilization in a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive, a magnetic media for utilization in a magnetic media drive, a magneto-optical disk for utilization in a magneto-optical drive, or a memory card for utilization in a card slot. Further, the set of instructions can be stored in the memory of another computer and transmitted over a local area network or a wide area network, such as the Internet, when desired by the user. Additionally, the instructions may be transmitted over a network in the form of an applet that is interpreted after transmission to the computer system rather than prior to transmission. One skilled in the art would appreciate that the physical storage of the sets of instructions or applets physically changes the medium upon which it is stored, e.g., electrically, magnetically, chemically, physically, or optically, so that the medium carries computer readable information. 
     The description above should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations to some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. In light of the above description and examples, various other modifications and variations will now become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.