Privacy FAQ

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Notice Regarding Children’s Accounts

Common Sense will discontinue accounts for Children [kids under 13], with the update scheduled to be implemented on the website on Thursday, October 9, 2025, and in the app on October 16, 2025. As of these dates, no new Children’s Accounts may be created, and existing Children’s Accounts will be closed and will no longer have access to the Services.

Profiles and associated Personal Information for discontinued Children’s Accounts will be deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Teen Accounts (ages 13–17) and Adult Accounts remain unaffected and will continue to be supported.

PRIVACY FAQ

At Common Sense Media, we value your privacy. Here's a quick summary of our Privacy Policy for users of commonsensemedia.org and commonsense.org/education.

Please know that other Common Sense websites, apps, and surveys may have different privacy policies. Be sure to check the specific policy for the site, app, or survey you're using.

Throughout this FAQs we use the term “Personal Information” to refer to information about an identified or identifiable natural person. It includes any information that can be used to identify (directly or indirectly) or contact a specific individual, such as the individual's name, postal address, email address, telephone number, or online identifier.

What do you do with the information I give you when I register?

We register users to protect our community and allow our members to write reviews, save favorites, and gain access to additional resources. Once you register, we use cookies to keep track of your online interaction with our site so we can welcome you back and personalize the services for you. You can control cookie settings by clicking on the "Cookie settings" link at the bottom of our Common Sense sites. Please note that for users in the European Economic Area and the UK (EEA+), only necessary cookies are enabled by default.

If you opt into any of our newsletters, we also use your information to send you the newsletter.

  • We will use your information to personalize your experience with our services and within our communications and to deliver relevant advertising. We may recommend Common Sense content, activities, features, and products that may be of interest. Regarding the media site (www.commonsensemedia.org), we may use your Personal Information to deliver marketing and promotional campaigns and enhance your experience on our platform. This includes analyzing your interactions and preferences to present you with relevant content. For more detailed information about how we utilize Personal Information for these purposes, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

What happens when my kid registers for your site?

We support the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other frameworks like the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the so-called UK GDPR (together, the GDPR), which endorse the protection of children and their Personal Information. Our goal is to minimize the information gathered from and disseminated about kids while permitting their active participation with the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice for which we are known.

We use the term "Children" in the Common Sense Media Privacy Policy to refer to younger kids for whom collecting parental consent is required under applicable laws. For example, under COPPA in the United States, children for these purposes are individuals under the age of 13. This age range may vary in other countries and regions. Where consent is required or recommended for a particular purpose or practice, we aim to get parental consent for youth in accordance with the age designated by the country they are in.

We use the term "Teen" in the Common Sense Media Privacy Policy to refer to older kids for whom collecting parental consent is not required under applicable laws. In the US, a Teen would be a kid between the ages of 13 and 18. This age range may vary in other countries and regions but, in all cases, an individual over 18 is not considered a Teen. We take extra steps to limit information collected and protect the privacy of Teens, as described in our Privacy Policy.

For Children, we have especially strict limitations about what Personal Information can be collected and viewed about them and how and when they can be contacted. Please see our Children’s Privacy Policy for additional information pertaining to our policies relating to the use of the services by Children.

For logged-in Teens and Children non-necessary cookies are turned off.

What rights do parents have? 

If you're a parent, we will get your consent before using your Child’s Personal Information in certain ways. If you believe your Child is sharing Personal Information on the site without your consent, or if you no longer want them to be a member, please contact us through the Privacy Requests Portal, and we will delete their profile along with any contact information we have for you.

What rights do users have? 

We offer all users certain rights to their Personal Information, including the right to access, correct, delete, and port Personal Information. Our Privacy Policy and our Children's Privacy Policy explain how we collect, use, and share information. As explained in our Cookie Policy, we may use Personal Information for advertising, but we do not share it for profit.

What rights do Individuals in the EEA+ have?

Individuals in the EEA+ have certain rights in respect of their Personal Information including the right to certain disclosures about how it is processed, and the right to access, correct and delete it. See our our Privacy Policy for additional details.

How do you obtain consent from parents of Children, including those in the EEA+ region?

If parental consent is required in respect of any processing of User Personal Information, that Child must provide their parent’s email address. We use that email address to contact the Child’s parent to ask for their consent to the relevant processing — we also explain to the parent:

  • what Personal Information we collect about their Child;
  • how we use it and why; and
  • how the parent can revoke their consent and/or ask that we delete their Child’s Profile and their Personal Information.

If at this stage, the parent gives us their consent, we will carry out the processing. If not, we won’t.

How do you use and share my Personal Information?

We use your Personal Information as follows:

  • Fulfilling Requests: We use Personal Information to send newsletters or respond to your inquiries.
  • Additional Communications: If you sign up, we may contact you with surveys, newsletters, and updates on Common Sense Media content or products.
  • Membership: We use your info to manage your profile, postings, and to send newsletters and important updates.
  • Internal Operations: Personal Information is used for internal purposes like data analysis and service improvements.
  • Law Enforcement: We may use personal info to comply with legal obligations or in emergencies.
  • Personalization: We use your info to tailor content, send recommendations, and manage promotions.
  • Use of AI: AI processes Personal Information to enhance recommendations and moderate content, with human oversight.
  • Advertising: Regarding the media site (www.commonsensemedia.org), Personal Information is used to deliver relevant messages and promotions based on your preferences, as detailed in our Cookie Policy.

We do not rent or share for profit your Personal Information. We do not share or disclose your Personal Information without your prior written consent, except as follows:

  • Profile Information: Members can update or delete their profile by logging into the Services and accessing "My Account."
  • Posted Reviews: Reviews may show your name (first name and last initial), photo, username, and other details like age or school info. You can choose to keep some info private.
  • Digital Literacy Training: Educator Members' completion info may be shared with their school district for compliance or curriculum tracking.
  • Third-Party Providers: We share Personal Information with service providers only to help improve or operate our Services.
  • Single Sign-On: We access and use your info from Single Sign-On services with your permission for account setup, personalization, and reporting.
  • Law Enforcement: We may use or share your information to comply with laws, protect rights, or in emergencies.
  • Data Transfers: Personal Information may be transferred internationally, following legal regulations.
  • Advertising Partners: Regarding the media site (www.commonsensemedia.org), Personal Information may be shared with partners to personalize and improve ad delivery, as explained in our Cookie Policy.

Our Privacy Policy gives details on all of our use and disclosure practices

What happens when I sign up for your newsletter?

Our newsletters are for our adult members. When you opt in for a newsletter, we will add your email address to the newsletter distribution list.

You can unsubscribe from our email newsletters or any other marketing communications we send by clicking the "unsubscribe" or “manage email preferences” links located at the bottom of newsletters, or sending a request using our online form.

What is Common Sense’s subscription program?

Our subscription program allows you to access unlimited ratings and reviews. You also receive a weekly newsletter featuring personalized entertainment picks based on your preferences.

Other information

For more information on our privacy practices, please go to the Privacy Policy.

Contact us

You can contact us at: Common Sense Media, 699 8th Street, Suite C150, San Francisco, CA 94103 or Contact Support.