A more thorough explanation:

The Child Online Privacy Act is a law that protects the privacy of children on the internet. It was passed in 1998 and is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. The law requires websites to take special measures to protect the personal information of children under the age of 13.

According to the law, websites must make a reasonable effort to get permission from a parent before collecting personal information from a child. This means that the website must notify the parent about what information is being collected and how it will be used, and the parent must give their consent before the information can be collected.

Violations of the law are considered unfair or deceptive practices and can result in fines of up to $11,000 per violation. The FTC can also impose larger fines for more serious violations, such as those that involve many children or large companies.

For example, in 2003, Hershey Foods was fined $85,000 for maintaining a website that only required parents to fill out an online form to give consent, without any independent verification that the person filling out the form was actually the parent.

The Child Online Privacy Act is important because it helps to protect children from having their personal information collected and used without their parents' permission. By requiring websites to get parental consent before collecting information, the law helps to ensure that children's privacy is respected and their personal information is kept safe.