Acorns says its services are not for children under 13, but through the Acorns Early product, parents can open accounts on behalf of minors, and Acorns does collect data about those children as part of the account.
This analysis describes what Acorns's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The Acorns Early product, which includes a debit card and financial learning app for children, involves collection of data about minors. How this data is used, retained, and protected is subject to COPPA and warrants specific scrutiny from parents.
Interpretive note: Whether the Acorns Early child-facing app and debit card constitute a service directed to children under COPPA's functional definition is a legal determination that depends on product features and marketing not fully visible in this policy text alone.
The updated policy removes explicit language describing how data flows when users sign in via Apple or Google, including what information those services share with Acorns and how it is used. Previously, the policy stated that Acorns receives information such as name and email address through third-party sign-in services solely to manage accounts and provide services. The revised language also shifts the AI chatbot from an optional feature users 'may access' to a stated service Acorns 'uses' to direct users to internal articles. Users no longer have a published explanation of third-party sign-in data practices in the privacy notice, though the terms suggest data shared through third-party services remains subject to those providers' terms.
View change record →Changed from 'without verifiable parental consent' to affirmative collection 'in connection with the account'; removed prompt deletion commitment and contact procedures; reframed as service directed to parents rather than designed for parental use.
View full change record →If you open an Acorns Early account for your child, Acorns will collect personal information about your minor child, including financial and potentially behavioral data, as part of operating that account.
How other platforms handle this
to request that your data be transferred to a third party (data portability)
Your organization may allow you to access and export your data in order to back it up or transfer it to a service outside of Google.
To stop us collecting your location information, you can update your device settings, stop using the Service, or uninstall our mobile apps.
"Our services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Acorns Early is directed to parents and legal guardians. If you are a parent or legal guardian who opens an Acorns Early account, we may collect information about your minor child in connection with the account.Excerpt from Acorns's Privacy Policy
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: COPPA, enforced by the FTC, applies to online services directed to children under 13 or that knowingly collect personal information from children.
Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.
Ad personalization controls removed. Contact scanning added. Advertiser data partnerships quietly dropped. A timeline of every change.
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The Acorns Early product, which includes a debit card and financial learning app for children, involves collection of data about minors. How this data is used, retained, and protected is subject to COPPA and warrants specific scrutiny from parents.
If you open an Acorns Early account for your child, Acorns will collect personal information about your minor child, including financial and potentially behavioral data, as part of operating that account.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 290 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Acorns.