If a teacher decides to utilize the Class Portal and allow students who are under the age of 13 to submit their own artworks or enter titles, statements, or other information, they must either obtain parent permission prior to using the Class Portal, or choose to act as the agent of the parent and provide consent on their behalf.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) protects the online privacy of children under the age of 13 and requires Artsonia to obtain parental consent or notice (as appropriate) prior to the collection, use and disclosure of that child's personal information.
There are a couple ways to obtain parental consent for using the Class Portal. The first and simplest way is for teachers to agree to act as the parent's agent, and provide consent on their behalf to use Artsonia solely in the educational context. This form is commonly referred to as "school consent". Under this type of consent, no artwork or related content submitted by students will be shown publicly, unless parents give additional parental consent to Artsonia. For more information on "school consent" under COPPA, please see the FTC's FAQ Section N.
The second way to obtain parental consent for using the Class Portal is for teachers to send home a physical permission slip for parents to sign and return prior to allowing their child to use the Class Portal. Here is a sample template for teachers within the European Union (subject to GDPR) and a sample template for teachers from US and non-EU countries. If a teacher wishes to use this method (and does not wish to act as the parent's agent to provide consent on their behalf), please contact us here and Artsonia will update the teacher account accordingly.
NOTE: Schools in different states, countries and communities have different regulations and approaches, and Artsonia cannot advise you on compliance with the laws applicable to your school. You should obtain any parental consent that may be required by your school (including for COPPA and FERPA) in a manner that complies with the laws of your jurisdiction.