The policy states that Medium's services are not directed to children under 13 and that Medium does not knowingly collect personal information from this age group, committing to delete such information if discovered, consistent with COPPA requirements.
This analysis describes what Medium'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 Medium's COPPA compliance posture, but the policy does not describe the verification mechanisms used to prevent collection of under-13 data, which is an operational detail relevant to COPPA enforcement by the FTC.
Added explicit statement that data is not knowingly collected from children under 13 and added reference to parental consent verification requirement.
View full change record →The agreement establishes that children under 13 are excluded from the intended user base and that personal information collected from this age group will be deleted upon discovery; the policy does not describe age verification procedures used at account creation.
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The Service is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information without your cons...
enableGpcSdk: true, gpcSetting: { privacyPolicyLink: '/Privacy-Security-Policy-a-282.html' }
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"Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information.— Excerpt from Medium's Medium Privacy Policy
1. REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prohibits collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent, enforced by the FTC. The FTC's COPPA Rule (16 CFR Part 312) specifies notice and consent requirements. The policy's commitment to delete under-13 data upon discovery reflects a standard COPPA compliance disclosure. 2. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Low. The policy's COPPA disclosure follows standard industry language. The absence of described age verification procedures is a common disclosure pattern but may be assessed by the FTC in enforcement contexts if under-13 data collection is found. 3. JURISDICTION FLAGS: US users under 13 have primary protection. EU users under 16 (or lower national age of digital consent) are protected under GDPR Article 8, which the policy does not specifically address. 4. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations integrating Medium content into educational or family-oriented platforms should assess whether their user base includes children under 13 and whether Medium's data practices are compatible with their own COPPA obligations. 5. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams operating in educational or family contexts should verify that Medium's age-gating practices are operationally implemented and not limited to policy assertion. GDPR Article 8 compliance for EU minors between 13 and 16 should be assessed separately as the policy does not address this age group.
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This provision establishes Medium's COPPA compliance posture, but the policy does not describe the verification mechanisms used to prevent collection of under-13 data, which is an operational detail relevant to COPPA enforcement by the FTC.
The agreement establishes that children under 13 are excluded from the intended user base and that personal information collected from this age group will be deleted upon discovery; the policy does not describe age verification procedures used at account creation.
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