User blog comment:Semanticdrifter/Updates to COPPA/@comment-4839682-20130624191729/@comment-20644-20130624212013

SeaTerror: "Yet you still ignored the point. This law is an American Law that is regulating the internet WORLDWIDE.."

That's not true, actually. This law is regulating American companies operating in the United States. Wikia is one of those companies. US law could not tell a German company in Germany, for example, what to do with underaged users. Only American companies.

The biggest misconception about this law is that you, as a user, are forced to comply with it. That’s not true. Let’s pretend you were under the age of 13. If you registered on Wikia while being under 13, you’re not in trouble. Yes, if we find out about it then your account is subject to closure, but you didn’t violate the law. Wikia would be violating the law if we found out about your age and didn’t do anything about it. We would also be violating the law if we collected certain private information on wikis directed to children or from users we knew to be under the age of 13. With the new COPPA updates, that’s why we have changed our policies to comply with them as best as we can. We don’t make the law, but we certainly follow it.

Additionally, as a user on Wikia, you are registering with an American company. Because of that, Wikia is obligated to follow all relevant federal, state, and local laws, including COPPA. Whether you’re from the United Kingdom, or Canada, or Australia, or Egypt, or China, or wherever, Wikia is still in the United States. COPPA regulates how we as an American company must act, not how you must act. It doesn’t matter what country you live in, you still have an account with an American company that is required to follow American laws.

Beyond that, and to be honest, arguing about the law itself here is frankly a waste of your time. We made the determination about how best to comply with it, but we can’t change the law. American laws are written by the United States Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States (in the case of COPPA, that President was Bill Clinton). In the case of these changes, the Federal Trade Commission made the new COPPA updates. If you don’t like COPPA, and you’re an American citizen, feel free to contact your Representative or your US Senators to voice your opinion. If you’re not an American citizen, feel free to send a letter to Congress via your country’s embassy in the United States. They can forward it to the appropriate member of Congress for you. You have the right to petition Congress.

I hope that clears things up for you!