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Comment by greggman | Hacker News Reader

Kids (under 13 in USA, under 16 in Netherlands) aren't allowed to have gmail accounts AFAIK

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1350409?hl=en

That's due to a Clinton era law Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). It forbids companies form collecting personal info from children under 13 without their parents permission.

What's funny is that nobody seems to provide a workflow to actually create accounts for kids. I want to set up a supervised google account for my son for hangouts et al... and I have no idea how. I guess that's not a thing.

It is for some services/websites that have policies in place. Google probably doesn't care enough to have a process, not worth it for them.

Since I can't edit here is an example:

http://www.neopets.com/coppa/consentform.phtml

Google doesn't care because it takes more effort for them to obey by the law than its worth for them at this time.

Haha, I remember getting this signed and then faxed by my dad when I was like 11. Funny seeing it here because I first learned HTML from Neopets (anyone else?). HTML brought me to javascript and computer programming in general. 15 years later, that form is still up and I guess kids are still playing Neopets. And now I am here, weird.

>I want to set up a supervised google account for my son for hangouts et al...

Why?

Same reason I have a landline, so he and his friends can talk. He's 8.

That's their stated policy, but we've previously been able to get an under-13 child account though support by verifying parental consent, which is all COPPA requires in the U.S.

Kids know they have to lie about their age online to get access to anything worth having. My 9-year-old has been doing it as long as she's been allowed to use the internet.

Yes, so if the age is under 13 the "Google" option to signup is disabled. So you are forced to use the "Pokemon Trainer" account which I know nothing about.

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