Child-Directed App (COPPA) Policy

Your app must adhere to the requirements of this page if it is being used by children, or if the target audience for your app includes children. If your app is targeted at multiple audiences and one of those audiences is children, your app is considered "child-directed" under this policy unless you confirm children are not using the app. "Children", for purposes of this policy, includes children under the age of 13 (or under the age of 16 in the European Union, Australia, or Japan), as well as children of any age if applicable laws restrict collecting personal data from children of such age.

Important: Amazon reserves the right to make the final determination on whether an app is rejected or suppressed by the Amazon Appstore.

Child-directed apps:

Must have age-appropriate content.
Must comply with all applicable laws, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Cannot use Amazon Advertising or Amazon Associates services to deliver advertising to children or child-directed areas of your app.
Can only use "child-suitable" SDKs to collect personal information from children.

Determining if Your App is Directed at Children
Compliance with COPPA and other Laws
Advertising in Apps for Children
SDKs in Apps for Children

Determining if Your App is Directed at Children

An app may be considered child-directed based on a variety of factors, including the following examples:

Subject matter of the app (e.g., educational)
Visual content (e.g., unicorns)
Use of animated characters
Presence of child-oriented activities and incentives
Type of music or other audio content (e.g., songs sung by children, not just songs that kids like)
Age of models (e.g., babies, toddlers, tweens)
Presence of child celebrities or celebrities who appeal to children
Complexity of language used on the app
Whether advertising on the app is directed at children

If you are unsure about whether your app is child-directed, please consult an attorney.

Compliance with COPPA and other Laws

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a United States federal law designed to give parents control over the information collected from their children online. COPPA prohibits the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information from children under 13 unless you have provided notice and received their parent's consent (in each case meeting the requirements of COPPA). Parental consent must be verifiable (e.g., having the parent fill out a consent form, or checking the parent's government-issued ID). More information about how to comply with COPPA, and the consequences for failing to do so, can be found here:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions

Advertising in Apps for Children

You are responsible for complying with COPPA and similar laws of other countries, including any restrictions on advertisements within child-directed apps. You may not show ads through any Amazon Advertising programs (such as Amazon Publisher Services or the Amazon Mobile Ad Network) or Amazon Associates programs to anyone you know is a children or in any child-directed portions of your app. If your app is only directed at children, you may not use Amazon Advertising or Associates programs.

Note: Even if you obtain parental consent, apps may not use Amazon Advertising or Amazon Associates programs to deliver advertising to children.

SDKs in Apps for Children

If your app is only directed at children and uses SDKs that collect personal information, such as certain advertising or analytics SDKs, you must ensure those SDKs are "child-suitable", meaning that they comply with COPPA and other applicable laws. You may not use SDKs whose terms of service prohibit their use in child-directed apps.

If your app is directed at both children and adults, you may use SDKs that are not "child- suitable" only if you take reasonable measures (such as a neutral age screen) to ensure that such SDKs only collect personal information from adult users.

Last updated: Jun 01, 2020