Provision record
Target · Target Terms and Conditions · View original document ↗

Age Restriction and COPPA Compliance

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 295 of 352 platforms
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Recent governance activity Target recorded 46 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

Target's services are not directed at children under 13, and the terms prohibit such users from registering or using the platform. Target states it will remove personal information collected from under-13 users discovered without parental consent.

This analysis describes what Target'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

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision establishes Target's stated COPPA compliance posture, asserting that the platform does not knowingly collect data from children under 13 and will delete such data upon discovery. The operational effectiveness of this commitment depends on the age verification mechanisms Target has implemented.

Interpretive note: The adequacy of Target's operational age verification mechanisms cannot be assessed from the terms document alone; COPPA compliance depends on implemented practices, not solely stated policy.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Jun 10, 2026

Target updated its Terms and Conditions on June 10, 2026, modifying provisions related to dispute resolution, account management, and service usage. The updated terms continue to include arbitration agreements, class action waivers, and jury trial waivers as part of the dispute resolution framework. The extent to which individual provisions were modified materially cannot be assessed from the available diff; consumers should review the complete updated Terms and Conditions at Target.com to understand specific changes to provisions affecting their rights.

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Medium Apr 16, 2026

Target removed specific language that explained how Target Circle Bonus rewards are earned, calculated, and reflected in customer accounts across different purchase methods (online, in-store, Same Day Delivery, Order Pickup, Drive Up). Previously, the terms clarified that online orders counted as one transaction unless they included Target Plus items or used Same Day Delivery, and specified timing for when bonuses would appear (24 hours for in-store, upon shipment/pickup/delivery for online). Without this clarity, customers must now rely on in-app displays or support channels to understand exactly how their purchases contribute to bonus eligibility, which may create confusion about reward calculation or disputes over earned benefits.

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Medium Mar 19, 2026

Target's updated Terms and Conditions now include explicit governance for its Target Circle loyalty program and Target Circle 360 membership. The updated terms establish that membership is voluntary and that by joining or continuing to use the program, members agree to Target Circle-specific terms and the Privacy Policy in effect at that time. The terms authorize Target to update the Target Circle Terms, the Target App, or the website at any time without advance notice, with continued program participation constituting acceptance of those updates. You can choose not to join Target Circle or can stop participating in the program to avoid binding yourself to these updated terms.

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Clause Stability Mostly Stable

1
Change
4
Months Monitored
May 21, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 5261 other provisions on other platforms.
This clause has changed once in 4 months of monitoring.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Under this clause, users under 13 are prohibited from creating accounts or using Target's digital services, and Target states it will remove any personal information collected from such users without parental consent. Parents or guardians who identify that a child under 13 has registered may contact Target to request data removal.

How other platforms handle this

Tinder Medium

If you choose to reveal any personal information about yourself to other users, you do so at your own risk. We strongly encourage you to use caution in disclosing any personal information online.

Skillshare Medium

When you are asked to provide information, you may decline to do so; but if you choose not to provide information that is necessary to provide some of our Services, you may not be able to use those Services.

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
The Target Services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register for the Target Services. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.

Excerpt from Target's Terms and Conditions

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly engages the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which is enforced by the FTC and requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The FTC has taken enforcement action against companies whose COPPA compliance mechanisms are found to be insufficient, including cases where age restrictions are stated but not operationally enforced. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The stated policy is consistent with COPPA requirements, but exposure depends on whether Target's operational age verification mechanisms are sufficient to prevent under-13 registration and data collection in practice. The FTC has indicated that mere policy statements are insufficient without operational safeguards. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: COPPA applies nationally to online services directed at children or with actual knowledge of child users. The EU's GDPR sets age of consent for data processing at 16 in most member states (with some setting it lower by national law), meaning EU compliance obligations may extend to a broader age group than addressed by this provision. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Third-party service providers integrated into the Target platform, including analytics, advertising, and loyalty vendors, should be assessed for COPPA compliance if any possibility of child user data exposure exists. Data processing agreements with such vendors should address COPPA restrictions. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should audit the operational age verification mechanisms on the Target registration flow to confirm they meet FTC standards for COPPA compliance, and should confirm that data deletion procedures for identified under-13 accounts are documented and tested.

Full institutional analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC enforces COPPA and has direct regulatory authority over online platforms' collection and use of personal information from children under 13
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
TCPA
United States Federal
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Target Terms and Conditions
Entity
Target
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 21, 2026
Last verified
May 21, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-013082
Document ID
CA-D-00259
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
480b5d4a311d08d87b75f1a22d1c751d68d0d186ac76aff1c64d8689245b2360
Analysis generated
May 21, 2026 04:50 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Target
Document: Target Terms and Conditions
Record ID: CA-P-013082
Captured: 2026-05-21 04:50:01 UTC
SHA-256: 480b5d4a311d08d8…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/target/target-terms-and-conditions/provision/CA-P-013082/age-restriction-and-coppa-compliance/
Accessed: July 25, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Related Analysis

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Provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, and regulatory mapping built from archived source documents and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Target's Age Restriction and COPPA Compliance clause do?

This provision establishes Target's stated COPPA compliance posture, asserting that the platform does not knowingly collect data from children under 13 and will delete such data upon discovery. The operational effectiveness of this commitment depends on the age verification mechanisms Target has implemented.

How does this clause affect you?

Under this clause, users under 13 are prohibited from creating accounts or using Target's digital services, and Target states it will remove any personal information collected from such users without parental consent. Parents or guardians who identify that a child under 13 has registered may contact Target to request data removal.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 295 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Target?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Target.