The Niantic Kids Parent Portal is designed to keep your child’s personal information secure and in your hands whenever they access our games.
Since your child is under the age of digital consent, you need to review and approve your child’s game and permission requests before they can play Niantic products. You will have options to control what personal information Niantic collects from your child, and you will always be informed of any new requests so you can review and approve them.
Below are some frequently asked questions about our games, our policies, and how we keep your child’s information safe.
Q: Why do games or apps need personal information from my child?
A: Niantic games require certain personal information in order to operate in accordance with the Terms of Service. If you consent to your child’s use of the game, Niantic will collect certain personal information about your child:
- We will collect and use your child’s device location information. Our games are location-based; the core feature is to provide a gameplay experience tied to a player’s real world location, so we need to know where your child is in order to operate these games for them and to plan the location of in-game resources (for example PokéStops within Pokémon GO).
- We will ask your child to create an in-game username, so we can make their game account, and your child can personalize their experience.
You can review our Privacy Policy for more details on what personal information we collect and how we use and process the information.
Q: Why do you need my credit card details to verify my account?
A: We’re required by law to obtain verifiable consent from a child’s parent before we gather any personal information from the child. Because of this, we need to verify your identity so we know you are really you.
One of the most common, COPPA-approved methods used for verifying identity is to charge or authorize a small amount to a credit card. The credit card transaction proves your identity. That process is handled by our verification provider Kids Web Services, in accordance with their own Privacy Policy, meaning your credit card information will NOT be shared with Niantic. Your credit card will NOT be used for any other purpose.
The amount and type of transaction depends on your location:
- In the US, this is a one-time charge of $0.05 (USD). This is a payment and NOT a temporary authorization hold. The full amount of this charge will be refunded within 8-13 days. No further charges will be made to your credit card after this verification payment.
- Outside the US, Kids Web Services places a temporary authorization hold. Authorization holds are not charges and will be removed by your financial institution after approximately 8-13 days.
In the US, another method used for verifying your identity is to check your name, date of birth, mailing address, and the last 4 digits of your social security number against government records. That process is handled by our verification provider Kids Web Services, in accordance with their own Privacy Policy, meaning that your name, date of birth, mailing address, and the last 4 digits of your social security number will NOT be shared with Niantic. This information will NOT be used for any other purpose.
Q: Why do I need to grant permission for games to access my child’s information?
A: As your child’s parent or guardian, you must have a Niantic Kids account so you can manage the privacy settings of your child’s account. Your verifiable parental consent is required for the collection, use, or disclosure of your child’s personal information. Niantic will not collect, use, or disclose any personal information from your child if you do not provide such consent.
Q: How do I know my child’s information is being handled appropriately?
A: When a game requests to access information from your child, this request comes through the Niantic Kids Parent Portal, and notify you via email. You can check the details of the information being requested and deny or allow it.
Q: Why do you ask for my personal information?
A: In order to ensure the maximum level of security over your child’s personal information, Niantic complies with both the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the US and GDPR-K: the provisions to protect children’s privacy in the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
COPPA and GDPR-K require obtaining verifiable consent from a child’s parent prior to gathering any personal information from the child.
We comply with this requirement through the Niantic Kids Parent Portal with a verification and consent process handled by Kids Web Services. In order to do so, Kids Web Services requires certain personal information about you to prove you are really you and to block anyone trying to impersonate you. Any such information is collected by Kids Web Services in accordance with their own Privacy Policy. You may contact Kids Web Services directly at [email protected] for any questions related to their handling of user information, especially parent information.
Once verified, you can grant permission for games to access information about your child.
If you do not provide consent within a reasonable time of receiving the initial permission request email, then the record of your online contact information will be deleted.
Q: What is COPPA and why is it important?
A: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law put in place by the Federal Trade Commission in the United States to ensure children’s online personal information remains safely under the control of their parents or guardians. COPPA requires any child-directed site or app collecting information from children under 13 to first obtain permission from a verified parent or guardian. For more information about COPPA, please visit the FTC website.
Q: What is GDPR-K and why is it important?
A: The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was designed to harmonize data privacy laws across Europe and to protect and empower all EU citizens’ data privacy. GDPR-K is the portion of GDPR governing children’s privacy. GDPR-K requires apps or sites directed at children under 16 (or younger depending on the EU country) to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information about the child. For more information about GDPR and GDPR-K, please visit the EU GDPR website.
Q: What if I have more than one child using Niantic Kids?
A: You will be able to monitor the information stored for more than one child in the Niantic Kids Parent Portal. When a new child signs up to a Niantic game and provides your email address, you will be notified and will be able to view their permissions, just as you did with the first child.
You will be able to toggle between your children on the “My Child” page.
Q: How do I delete or access my child’s personal information?
A: You can delete your account and/or any of your child’s accounts within the Niantic Kids Parent Portal.
To delete your (parent) Niantic Kids account:
- Visit the Niantic Kids Parent Portal and select “My Profile” menu option.
- Click the “Edit Profile” button
- At the bottom of the page, click the “Delete” link.
To delete your child’s Niantic Kids account:
- Visit the Niantic Kids Parent Portal and select your child’s account.
- Click the “Edit Profile” button
- At the bottom of the page, click the “Delete child’s profile” link.
Note that deleting a Niantic Kids account is not the same as deleting a Pokémon GO account. Deleting a Niantic Kids account only deletes data you provided to the Niantic Kids platform for account creation and verification. It does not automatically delete personal data associated with Pokémon GO gameplay. To permanently delete a Pokémon GO account and the personal data associated with it, please fill out this form. To access your child’s Pokémon GO account data, please refer to instructions found within the Niantic privacy policy.
Q: What is Kids Web Services?
A: Niantic Kids is powered by Kid Web Services (KWS) platform. KWS is certified as COPPA-compliant by the kidSafe Seal program and is an ESRB privacy certified member in good standing. The service provides privacy safeguards allowing kids, and parents like you, to better enjoy digital adventures.