Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act

H.R. 6291 would update and expand the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) to strengthen privacy safeguards for minors in today's digital environment. The bill would require online services to obtain clear, verifiable consent from parents before collecting personal information from children and teens, and would impose stricter rules on how companies collect, use, and retain that data. It would also expand protections to cover teenagers up to age 17, not just younger children, and establish new parental rights to access and delete their children's information.

The bill would establish a single federal standard for children's online privacy rather than allowing a patchwork of different state rules. It would require the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these protections and would allow state attorneys general to pursue violations within their jurisdictions. The legislation would apply to major online platforms and services, including social media companies and app providers, with specific rules about data collection, advertising, and how companies can use information they collect from minors. If enacted, the bill would give parents stronger tools to protect their children's privacy online and require companies to be more transparent about their data practices.