Do I have to wait for my 19th anniversary of MFGG badge?

**Rayyan** · 07-10-2020, 06:55 AM

I'm very new here so I don't know if I need to wait or not, also I'm not old enough to go to discord because you need to be 13 and up to be there so i hope someone replies here. Tired

**Gate** · 07-10-2020, 07:22 AM

(07-10-2020, 06:55 AM)Rayyan Wrote: I'm very new here so I don't know if I need to wait or not, also I'm not old enough to go to discord because you need to be 13 and up to be there so i hope someone replies here.

They will be given shortly

"shy guys are wall plugs confirmed" - Vitiman on Club Saturn Ex

**Rayyan** · 07-10-2020, 09:07 AM

Ok thanks for replying! Mario Thumbs Up

**Pedigree** · 07-10-2020, 10:00 AM

Aren't you supposed to be 13 and up to use mybb forum software without parent permission as well Confused

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**Rayyan**

Wait really? Huh?

Uhh...
Looks like I can't use this...

But I didn't see anything that says "13 and up". Confused

Looks like I have to wait for 2 years...
Also, I don't want to be in trouble so I'm gonna just wait until I'm 13... Tired

**VinnyVideo** · 07-10-2020, 06:05 PM

@Rayyan Don't worry - you don't have to be a certain age to be on the MFGG forums.

Course clear! You got a card.

[Image: CourseClear.gif]

**Pedigree** · (This post was last modified: 07-10-2020, 07:01 PM by Pedigree.)

(07-10-2020, 06:05 PM)VinnyVideo Wrote: @Rayyan Don't worry - you don't have to be a certain age to be on the MFGG forums.

Even if true, this is not legal. https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/ru...ction-rule

They have made you aware that they are under 13, so you cannot continue to allow them to use the site without written parental consent now that you have that knowledge.

Because of the nature of forum software, they could share sensitive information that would make the community administrators liable for breaching COPPA.

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**Rayyan** · (This post was last modified: 07-10-2020, 10:09 PM by Rayyan.)

Ok then... Tired

I'll try not to break the rules... Agree

**VinnyVideo** · 07-11-2020, 09:50 PM

@Rayyan You're not doing anything bad by posting on MFGG.

I'm not an expert on COPPA (I don't believe anyone is - even huge sites like YouTube aren't sure how to handle it), but my understanding is that it applies only to commercial sites - it wouldn't normally apply to non-profit forums like MFGG.

It's also worth noting that the MFGG forums collect very little personal information, and anything can be removed if you (or your parents) are concerned.

Course clear! You got a card.

[Image: CourseClear.gif]

**Rayyan** · (This post was last modified: 07-12-2020, 12:41 AM by Rayyan.)

So a commercial site does this right? Confused

"A website that generates revenue or cash flow of any type that isn't under a non profit organizations filed with that state. So if your selling a product, selling advertisement, selling a service, your site is commercial."

I don't know what to do now really... Should I keep messaging or just stop?

**Evan.F** · 07-12-2020, 03:50 PM

(07-12-2020, 12:38 AM)Rayyan Wrote: So a commercial site does this right? "A website that generates revenue or cash flow of any type that isn't under a non profit organizations filed with that state. So if your selling a product, selling advertisement, selling a service, your site is commercial."

I don't know what to do now really... Should I keep messaging or just stop?

I'd say keep messaging, but just try not to talk much about personal stuff. I think the forum might be less at risk, seeing as it's pretty small and nobody is making money off of it, but better safe then sorry.

Stabyourself.net account:Â https://forum.stabyourself.net/memberlis...ile&u=4218

MFFG main account:Â https://mfgg.net/index.php?act=user&param=01&uid=15484

Important
It's back

Spoiler

Â

**VinnyVideo** · 07-12-2020, 04:20 PM

There's nothing commercial about MFGG - we don't charge money for downloads, subscriptions/premium features, ad space, Official MFGG Merchandise, or anything else of that nature.

(Being cautious about sharing personal information is always a good idea, though.)

Course clear! You got a card.

[Image: CourseClear.gif]

**Hyper** · 07-12-2020, 05:40 PM

Anyways. The badges have been dispatched.

However, I felt like the discussion needs to be split if it needs further debates. I personally have no opinion on this matter, but I will stick to whatever that has the majority of support.

Main Site | YouTube | Bluesky | My OC

**Rayyan** · (This post was last modified: 07-13-2020, 03:57 AM by Rayyan.)

Thanks =).

Also I hope you everyone has a good day!

**Pedigree** · (This post was last modified: 07-13-2020, 09:29 AM by Pedigree.)

Okay y'all, no.

It is illegal in the United States, where our servers are based, to allow them to continue to post at all without written permission from parents now that you know they are under 13. It has nothing to do with being commercial/non-commercial.

This is not a hard issue to grasp.

Rayyan, see you in two years.

Rayyan has already breached COPPA by providing you with information about their age and the email address they used to register. Their username counts as data that you are collecting and so does their posts. Not to mention whatever information they can accidentally share with you about their location by talking about local things they do, etc.

Evan, the size/activity of this website does not matter. If Rayyan's parents find out, like say if Rayyan got banned and someone here said something to hurt their feelings, the parents could sue administrators for allowing their child on the site without their permission and cite all the information that you've collected from them just from the nature of forum software, even without deliberately fishing for this information. This very thread would be used as evidence that you KNEW they were underage and encouraged that they continue to post.

This community has made a lot of enemies, which means it's much more likely than you think that MFGG would be turned in by someone with malice.

MFGG administrators cannot afford legal fees lmao. So stop trying to make them liable.

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**Rayyan** · 07-13-2020, 09:38 AM

My dad does allow me to use it but if you think that's not enough, then see you in two years! Agree

**Pedigree** · 07-13-2020, 09:39 AM

(07-13-2020, 09:38 AM)Rayyan Wrote: My dad does allow me to use it but if you think that's not enough, then see you in two years!

He has to submit a specific legal document in writing, sorry.

Â

**Rayyan** · (This post was last modified: 07-14-2020, 05:02 AM by Rayyan.)

Then bye everyone! Tired

As Rayyan goes to bed and slumber, when he's 13 and up he'll be as new as a newly hired plumber!
EDIT: I'll still use the website but I only download games and do other stuff.

**Pedigree** · (This post was last modified: 07-13-2020, 10:01 AM by Pedigree.)

(07-11-2020, 09:50 PM)VinnyVideo Wrote: @Rayyan You're not doing anything bad by posting on MFGG.

I'm not an expert on COPPA (I don't believe anyone is - even huge sites like YouTube aren't sure how to handle it), but my understanding is that it applies only to commercial sites - it wouldn't normally apply to non-profit forums like MFGG.

It's also worth noting that the MFGG forums collect very little personal information, and anything can be removed if you (or your parents) are concerned.

The nonprofit clause in the law is to protect churches, animal shelters, etc. Not forum communities.

MFGG is not registered as a nonprofit and cannot benefit from that clause. But even if we were registered as a nonprofit, the FTC still pressures nonprofit entities to provide COPPA protections: "Although nonprofit entities generally are not subject to COPPA, the FTC encourages such entities to post privacy policies online and to provide COPPA's protections to their child visitors."

There is a reason COPPA comes by default with every forum software. I guarantee you are breaching MyBB terms of use/service by knowingly allowing members under 13. You are probably breaching our web host's terms of use/service by doing so as well.

You are crazy if you think our forum software doesn't collect enough personal information to breach COPPA. When they registered, they had to provide you a username, birth date (even if they can hide it, you still collected it), they had to provide a valid email address, you get their location in the world from their IP address, then every single post they ever make is considered protected data under COPPA especially if they were to accidentally reveal something sensitive like the city that they were in for vacation or that they were at a local-exclusive restaurant chain. It is really easy to reveal sensitive information indirectly and no amount of care from Rayyan would prevent it 100%.

And this is all without mentioning that there are tons of liabilities and problems even outside of COPPA that come from knowingly allowing under 13 year old members to congregate with a bunch of teens and adults.

I get that you want MFGG to be all inclusive, but it's not worth the risk to push this member to continue posting like you are, Vinny. If they had never revealed they were under 13, then there would be no problem. Plausible deniability. But we know now, and have to act accordingly.

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**VinnyVideo** · 07-13-2020, 07:07 PM

Ped, I think you mean well, but you're taking things a liiiiiiiiiiiittle too seriously. It's a tiny little nonprofit community where a significant percentage of our users (including, once upon a time, our very own founder!) are younger than 13.

While MFGG isn't technically registered as a nonprofit organization, it isn't a business either. We don't engage in any commercial activity or monetize user data.

(Also, just to make sure you understand, MyBB is a piece of open-source software - the creators and contributors have no control over what people do with it - and it doesn't even include a COPPA compliance feature. Also, we don't ask for your age when you register a new account.)

But agree to disagree.

Course clear! You got a card.

[Image: CourseClear.gif]