Parents who create accounts for children under 13 are consenting on their child's behalf to Khan Academy's data collection practices, and they are legally responsible for how their child uses the platform.
This analysis describes what Khan Academy'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
Creating an account for a child under 13 constitutes verifiable parental consent under COPPA, making the parent responsible for the child's activity and for understanding what data Khan Academy collects from the child.
Parents who create child accounts accept legal responsibility for their child's platform use and consent to data collection from their child as described in a separately linked Privacy Policy. Parents should review the Privacy Policy carefully before creating child accounts, as that document governs what information is collected from their child and how it is used.
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YOU MUST BE AND HEREBY AFFIRM THAT YOU ARE AN ADULT OF THE LEGAL AGE OF MAJORITY IN YOUR COUNTRY OR STATE OF RESIDENCE. If you are under the legal age of majority, your parent or legal guardian must consent to this agreement.
The Service is not directed to children under the age of 16. If you are under the age of 16, you may only use the Service with the involvement and consent of a parent or guardian. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal information without your...
The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. If you are under 13 years of age, please do not use or access the Service at any time or in any manner. If we learn that personally identifiable information has been collected on the Service from persons under 13 years of age and without v...
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"If you are a parent or legal guardian who has created an account for your child under the age of 13, you represent that you are the child's parent or legal guardian and that you consent to Khan Academy's collection and use of your child's information as described in our Privacy Policy. You are responsible for your child's use of the Service and their compliance with these Terms.— Excerpt from Khan Academy's Khan Academy Terms of Service
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly engages COPPA, enforced by the FTC, which requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The provision's reliance on a parent's account-creation action as the consent mechanism should be evaluated against FTC guidance on what constitutes sufficient verifiable parental consent under COPPA. State laws such as California's CPPA also provide additional protections for minors' data. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. If Khan Academy's parental consent mechanism does not meet the FTC's COPPA standards for verifiable consent, the company could face enforcement action. The consent mechanism described (parent creates account) may or may not constitute adequate verification depending on what additional steps are taken. Compliance teams should assess whether the consent flow includes age verification and adequate disclosure. JURISDICTION FLAGS: COPPA applies to U.S.-based operators and children in the U.S. EU/EEA children's data is governed by GDPR Article 8, which sets the age of digital consent at 16 (or lower in some member states) and requires parental authorization. UK GDPR and the Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code) impose additional requirements for services likely to be accessed by children. Khan Academy's global reach means multiple children's privacy frameworks may apply simultaneously. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: School districts that deploy Khan Academy for students under 13 should confirm whether the school's use of the platform satisfies COPPA's school official exception, which permits schools to provide consent on behalf of parents for educational uses. This determination affects which party bears COPPA compliance obligations and may be addressed in the School Agreement. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should audit the account creation flow for child accounts to ensure it meets COPPA verifiable consent standards, that the Privacy Policy is clearly linked and disclosed at the point of consent, and that data minimization practices are applied to child account data. Any use of child account data for AI training, product improvement, or non-educational purposes requires heightened scrutiny.
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Creating an account for a child under 13 constitutes verifiable parental consent under COPPA, making the parent responsible for the child's activity and for understanding what data Khan Academy collects from the child.
Parents who create child accounts accept legal responsibility for their child's platform use and consent to data collection from their child as described in a separately linked Privacy Policy. Parents should review the Privacy Policy carefully before creating child accounts, as that document governs what information is collected from their child and how it is used.
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