Age Verification

About the age verification dialog that appears on first use.

When you first use Reading Forest, an age verification dialog appears asking for your date of birth. This is to comply with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information.

Why is Age Verification Required?

Reading Forest handles personal data. Laws in various countries and regions require age-appropriate measures to protect children's personal information.

Age Categories and Applicable Restrictions

Under 13 (Children)

Applicable Laws: COPPA (US), GDPR, Japan Personal Information Protection Act

Parental consent is required - Account creation requires a parent's email address and consent
No advertisements displayed (COPPA compliant)
No behavioral tracking or personalization - Browsing history is not tracked
Parental account management - Parents can manage and delete the account
Group feature restrictions - Cannot become a group owner (can join as a member)

13 to 15 Years Old (Early Teen)

Applicable Laws: GDPR, Japan Personal Information Protection Act

Parental consent recommended - Can create account independently, but parental consent is recommended
Non-personalized ads only (no behavioral tracking)
Group feature restrictions - Cannot become a group owner (can join as a member)
Parental consent required for paid plans

16 to 17 Years Old (Late Teen)

Applicable Laws: GDPR (has consent capacity)

Can use at own discretion - Can create and use account without parental consent
Non-personalized ads only (child protection settings applied)
Group feature restrictions - Cannot become a group owner (can join as a member)
Parental assistance required for paid plans (credit card or other payment method)

18 and Over (Adult)

Applicable Laws: No restrictions

No age-based feature restrictions
Standard ad display (for free plan users)
Can subscribe to paid plans
Can create and manage groups

Age Verification Process

Enter your date of birth
Please enter your accurate date of birth. We do not accept false declarations.
If under 13
A "Parent's Email Address" field will appear on the registration form. After registration, a confirmation email will be sent to the parent, and their approval is required.
If 13 or older
You can start using Reading Forest immediately.

Note

Age verification appears only once and won't appear again afterward
When a child under 13 reaches age 13, their parent will be notified
If false age declaration is discovered, the account may be deleted

Important

Reading Forest is a general-purpose service, not a platform designed exclusively for children. If children are using it, please ensure they do so under parental supervision.