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Parents who register or approve a child user account represent and warrant they are the child's parent or legal guardian and accept full liability for all use of the services by the child user. Khan Academy acknowledges it cannot guarantee the accuracy of parent identity claims.
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
This provision establishes parental liability for all child user activity on the platform, including prohibited conduct. The document simultaneously acknowledges in Section 2.3 that Khan Academy is not obligated to verify that a claimant is the actual parent, which creates a liability structure based on self-representation.
Interpretive note: Whether Khan Academy's reliance on parental self-representation satisfies COPPA's verifiable consent standard depends on the specific verification practices implemented, which are not fully described in this document.
The agreement establishes that parents who approve or register child accounts accept full liability for all actions taken by the child user on the platform. Khan Academy states it is not obligated to verify parent identity but reserves the right to take legal action against users who misrepresent their identity.
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"IF YOU REGISTER, APPROVE OR CONSENT TO THE REGISTRATION OF, OR OTHERWISE ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY CHILD USER, YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU ARE SUCH CHILD USER'S PARENT AND YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS ON BEHALF OF SUCH CHILD USER, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION BEING LIABLE FOR ALL USE OF THE SERVICES BY YOUR CHILD USER.Excerpt from Khan Academy's Terms of Service
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The parental liability clause interacts with COPPA's requirements for verifiable parental consent, which is enforced by the FTC. The clause's reliance on parental self-representation without mandatory identity verification may require evaluation against COPPA's standard for verifiable consent, which requires reasonable efforts to verify that the consenting person is the parent. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The liability structure is common in consumer-facing platforms serving minors but may face scrutiny if Khan Academy's identity verification practices are deemed insufficient under COPPA's verifiable consent standard. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: States with enhanced child online safety statutes may impose additional requirements on platforms beyond federal COPPA standards. EU GDPR Article 8 and analogous UK provisions impose age-appropriate consent requirements that may require evaluation for EU-based parent-child account relationships. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: This provision does not create direct obligations for institutional users but contextualizes the division of responsibility between Khan Academy and individual parents for child user conduct. Institutions should note that parent users, not school personnel, bear liability for personally registered child accounts. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Parents reviewing these terms should understand that the liability representation applies to all child user activity including prohibited conduct listed in Section 9. Khan Academy's reservation of rights to take legal action for misrepresentation of identity should be noted in any institutional communications to parents about account registration.
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Provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, and regulatory mapping built from archived source documents and historical version tracking.
This provision establishes parental liability for all child user activity on the platform, including prohibited conduct. The document simultaneously acknowledges in Section 2.3 that Khan Academy is not obligated to verify that a claimant is the actual parent, which creates a liability structure based on self-representation.
The agreement establishes that parents who approve or register child accounts accept full liability for all actions taken by the child user on the platform. Khan Academy states it is not obligated to verify parent identity but reserves the right to take legal action against users who misrepresent their identity.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Khan Academy.