User blog:Semanticdrifter/Upcoming Policy Changes

Hello,

We wanted to let you know that in order to comply with federal law, Wikia is reviewing the way it handles communities that may be considered directed to people 12 years of age or younger.

This wiki has been flagged as falling into that category, and I wanted to let you know about it. While I am sure this wiki has many fans of all ages, it can also be especially appealing to the younger demographic for purposes of the newly revised Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

The only change you will notice is that we will be turning anonymous editing and commenting off for wikis in this category. Your users will still be able to edit and participate. They just need to make sure that they are logged in first. We hope the impact on your community will be minimal.

We realize this might be an inconvenience, but this is a step Wikia has to take in order to make sure we are in compliance with federal law. You can find out more about COPPA here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/12/coppa.shtm.

The changes to the law will be going into effect July 1st, 2013 although you may see some changes before then. Be sure to keep an eye on Community Central where e will be announcing these updates to the wider Wikia Community on Monday on the staff blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks, and Happy Editing! --semanticdrifter (help forum | blog) 03:26, June 21, 2013 (UTC)