Safe Harbor Program

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) includes a provision enabling industry groups or others to submit for Commission approval self-regulatory guidelines that implement the protections of the Commission’s final Rule. The COPPA requires the Commission to act on a request for "safe harbor" treatment within 180 days of the filing of the request, and after the proposed guidelines have been subject to notice and comment. Section 312.10 of the final Rule sets out the criteria for approval of guidelines and the materials that must be submitted as part of a safe harbor application.