The policy states that Whatnot does not direct its services to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect their personal information; if such data is identified, the policy states it will be deleted.
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
This provision asserts COPPA compliance by excluding users under 13 from the platform and committing to deletion of inadvertently collected data from that age group; the operational adequacy of age verification mechanisms determines the practical effect of this commitment.
The updated terms require all disputes arising from the Strategic Seller Agreement or a seller's relationship with Whatnot to be resolved through arbitration as defined in the main Terms of Service, rather than through litigation in California courts. Previously, sellers could bring claims in federal or state courts located in Los Angeles; under the revised language, this option is eliminated except where the Terms of Service arbitration section expressly permits court proceedings. The change applies to the relationship between individual sellers and Whatnot, affecting how contract disputes, payment disagreements, or other claims are processed and adjudicated.
View change record →The updated terms establish a new Creator Program for UK users that allows them to submit content (videos, shopping hauls, seller spotlights) and potentially receive program benefits including cash payments, shopping credit, or promotional support. The terms grant Whatnot a one-year non-exclusive license to use submitted content across all marketing channels worldwide for promotion, advertising, and derivative works without additional compensation beyond the stated program benefit. Creators must be at least 18 years old, maintain a valid Whatnot account, and complete identity verification and tax documentation before receiving any payment. The terms state explicitly that submission does not guarantee content will be selected, used, featured, or rewarded, and Whatnot retains discretion to reject, remove, or stop using content at any time.
View change record →The provision was condensed, changing from 'as quickly as possible' to 'take steps to delete,' added a 'without parental consent' qualifier, and removed the contact email instruction.
View full change record →Under this provision, Whatnot asserts that users under 13 are not permitted on the platform and that any personal information identified as belonging to a child under 13 will be deleted; parents or guardians who believe a child's data has been collected can contact Whatnot to request deletion.
How other platforms handle this
Our Services are not directed to children under 13. If you learn that anyone younger than 13 has unlawfully provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@medium.com.
Redfin may offer interactive features such as chat services, forums, and social media pages. We may collect the information you submit or make available through these features. Any content you provide on the public sections of these channels will be considered "public" and will not be subject to the...
At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.
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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 become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.— Excerpt from Whatnot's Whatnot Privacy Policy
1) 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 policy's reliance on a 'not directed to children' and 'do not knowingly collect' standard is consistent with COPPA's general audience platform framework, but operational age verification adequacy remains an enforcement consideration. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The adequacy of the platform's age gate or verification mechanism to prevent under-13 users from registering and providing personal information is the primary operational risk; the FTC has taken enforcement action against platforms that relied on ineffective age screening. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: COPPA applies to US-based operators and to foreign operators directing services to US children. For EU and UK users, GDPR and UK GDPR impose age-of-consent requirements for digital services that may set a higher threshold (13 to 16 depending on member state for GDPR; 13 for UK GDPR with age-appropriate design requirements under the UK Children's Code). 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Third-party advertising and analytics partners receiving data from the platform must be contractually restricted from collecting data from under-13 users; this is a standard COPPA compliance requirement for advertising-supported platforms. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess the technical robustness of age verification at registration; review whether the advertising technology stack includes controls to prevent behavioral profiling of users who may be under 13; and confirm that deletion workflows for identified under-13 accounts extend to all data processors and advertising partners.
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This provision asserts COPPA compliance by excluding users under 13 from the platform and committing to deletion of inadvertently collected data from that age group; the operational adequacy of age verification mechanisms determines the practical effect of this commitment.
Under this provision, Whatnot asserts that users under 13 are not permitted on the platform and that any personal information identified as belonging to a child under 13 will be deleted; parents or guardians who believe a child's data has been collected can contact Whatnot to request deletion.
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