open vt up to 12 year olds?

[Yianni]

Hey, this is more of a question to the mods, but anyways, could you guys open up the site to where 12 year olds (maybe 11) could join? This site has helped me a lot ever since I started and probably would have been more helpful if I knew about it when I was 12.

[Donkey]

COPPA legislation in the United States of America requires forums or other websites such as this where personal details can be submitted and information such as IP addresses and cookies are logged are only available to 13 year olds to be signed up to - if the administrator knows that 12 year olds are signing up and allows it, he s in violation of this law. Hence it is not a choice we even have, and not something that can ever happen. It would be irresponsible and illegal. :locked: