Seriously. This rule is extremely contradictory and it's about time we get rid of it. Wikia Staff have emphasized countless times that admins on a local wikia blocking users they highly suspect or have proof to be under 13 has no legal effect despite what everyone on this wikia, apart from me and the staff, believe. The reason that people believe it has a legal effect and is the only way to comply with the TOU, is beyond me and I bet even Topdarlingwh (who has long since quit this wikia) would agree with this. This is a similar proposal as for "Should we allow Fandom pictures?" Underaged users tending to be immature is rather biased and blocking users for being under 13 is likely half the reason for the drama caused from it, such as this, even though 2003 can mean more than the user's birth year (it could just be a ワンピース fan who just so happens to like the year 2003) and the fact that people can be held back and therefore people assume that if someone says they're in middle school, that they are "likely" under 13 and does absolutely nothing but causes drama when someone is brought up to be allegedly under 13 (especially when it's not the case). A bit of research proves that a user named ThatJarofJam was banned here for being underage and the user has created socks and managed to escape from being banned despite the administration clearly knowing the user was under 13 at the time (thanks to Topdarlingwh for some of this info). Heck, I'm 22 and I can still complain that this is defeating the purpose it's there for. This is completely contradicting the purpose that users believe it is serving and the fact that some other big wikias do this means nothing. We should wait until a user is both revealed to be underaged and causing trouble before ever doing anything. In other words, not blocking under-13s unless they are violating policies (but again, not blocking them for being under 13). The problem is the user possessing the user account. Younger kids can also be mature users who don't give out any personal information. A user being under 13 is business for staff to take care of as they're only going to get in trouble if they knowingly allow under 13 users on the site (such as refusing to disable their account after having valid proof they are under 13). I am the same one who has gotten six users (on both Lab Rats and Gamer's Guide wikias) disabled from Wikia as they were 10/11 years old and that is what can be done instead of this entirely contradictory rule that enforces no laws nor violates the TOU to have under 13s on the wikia.
Refer to this thread in which Wikia staff member Merrystar has replied to ([...] That said, a local block does not "enforce" COPPA; only disabling the account can actually do that, because the problem is having the account at all. If you prefer to ban users that have revealed via chat they are underage on your wiki, that is a decision for you and your community. However, Wikia does not ask admins to police this aspect of our Terms of Use.)
I am not saying admins should condone TOU violations (as they can be easily brought up to staff), but that blocking under 13 users does not enforce the TOU or COPPA and that the user is still having the account (which is illegal on Wikia's side) and the fact that the problem is not whether the account is usable but whether the account is owned by the individual in any way. We are not violating the TOU by allowing these users on the wikia, the user is. The guidelines say we base it off of the wikia staff's explanation at the thread; aka admitting this rule is contradictory, or mentioning the user can get their account disabled by Wikia.