Whatnot · Whatnot Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Children Under 13 and COPPA Compliance

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Rare · 1 of 325 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Whatnot does not allow children under 13 to use the platform and states it will delete any personal data it discovers was collected from a child under 13.

This analysis describes what Whatnot'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 is required under COPPA, and its effectiveness depends on how robustly Whatnot verifies user ages at sign-up, which the policy does not detail.

Interpretive note: The adequacy of this provision depends on the technical age verification process used at registration, which is not described in the policy, and may be subject to FTC scrutiny if the platform attracts younger users.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Parents who discover their child under 13 has created a Whatnot account can request deletion of that child's data by contacting privacy@whatnot.com, and the policy states Whatnot will delete such data promptly.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Delete Your Data
    Email privacy@whatnot.com to report that a child under 13 has provided personal information or has an account on Whatnot and request deletion of all associated data. Provide enough detail to identify the account.

How other platforms handle this

McDonald's Medium

Our online 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 that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

TransUnion Medium

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights with respect to your personal information. These rights may include: The right to know what personal information we have collected about you, including the categories of personal information, the categories of sources from which we collected i...

Replit Medium

Replit does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Users between the ages of 13 and 18 may use the platform with parental or guardian consent. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that a child under the age of 13 may have provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@whatnot.com.

— Excerpt from Whatnot's Whatnot Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly engages COPPA, enforced by the FTC, which requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13 in the United States. The policy's reliance on a 'not knowingly collecting' standard is the baseline COPPA framework but may be insufficient if the platform's content or marketing is attractive to minors, as the FTC has pursued enforcement based on actual knowledge and contextual indicators. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The policy does not describe the age verification mechanism used at registration. If Whatnot's user base or content is likely to attract users under 13, a 'we do not knowingly collect' disclaimer alone may not satisfy COPPA obligations under FTC enforcement standards. JURISDICTION FLAGS: US-wide COPPA obligations apply. Some US states have enacted additional children's privacy protections, including California's Age-Appropriate Design Code (AADC), which extends protections to users under 18 and imposes design obligations beyond COPPA. The UK Children's Code imposes similar obligations for UK users. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Third-party advertising and analytics vendors receiving data from Whatnot should be assessed to confirm COPPA-compliant data processing agreements are in place and that no child-derived data is being used for advertising targeting. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should review the technical age-gating mechanism at registration to assess whether it meets FTC COPPA guidance, and evaluate whether California's AADC and the UK Children's Code impose additional design or data minimization obligations on the platform.

Full compliance analysis

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

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC is the primary enforcement authority for COPPA, which governs collection of personal data from children under 13 in the United States
    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
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Whatnot Privacy Policy
Entity
Whatnot
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 11, 2026
Last verified
May 11, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-010491
Document ID
CA-D-00732
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
b004999cb5790fcea852f2c7a74f97dc701c834bd53dc7719ae5d0ff36889183
Analysis generated
May 11, 2026 06:35 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Whatnot
Document: Whatnot Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-010491
Captured: 2026-05-11 06:35:36 UTC
SHA-256: b004999cb5790fce…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/whatnot/whatnot-privacy-policy/children-under-13-and-coppa-compliance/
Accessed: May 13, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Whatnot's Children Under 13 and COPPA Compliance clause do?

This provision is required under COPPA, and its effectiveness depends on how robustly Whatnot verifies user ages at sign-up, which the policy does not detail.

How does this clause affect you?

Parents who discover their child under 13 has created a Whatnot account can request deletion of that child's data by contacting privacy@whatnot.com, and the policy states Whatnot will delete such data promptly.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Whatnot?

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