H.R. 6291: Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act

The "Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act" aims to revise and strengthen the existing Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998, focusing on safeguarding the online personal information of children and teenagers. The bill seeks to enhance consent requirements, allowing for better protection of minors' privacy when using online services.

Key Provisions

• The bill introduces stricter rules regarding how online services collect and manage personal information from minors.
• It mandates that companies obtain clear and verifiable consent before collecting personal data from children and teens.
• Definitions of “child” and “teen” are clarified to ensure that protections are appropriately targeted.

Reporting and Assessment Requirements

• The bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to evaluate and report on the feasibility of a uniform consent mechanism tailored for children's online services.
• It ensures that personal information collected from minors is permanently deleted when it is no longer necessary.
• The bill prohibits any state laws that conflict with its provisions, aiming for uniformity across jurisdictions.
• The FTC will also be responsible for oversight and must provide reports regarding compliance with these new requirements.

Overall, this legislation seeks to enhance the privacy protections for minors engaging with online platforms by establishing clearer consent requirements and more stringent data handling practices.

Relevant Companies

• GOOGL (Alphabet Inc.): As a major provider of online services and platforms, increased regulations regarding data collection and consent may require adjustments to their practices and technologies used for user data management.
• FB (Meta Platforms, Inc.): This company faces significant implications due to its platforms being widely used by children and teens for social networking, requiring compliance with enhanced privacy measures.
• AAPL (Apple Inc.): Apple may need to modify its privacy policies and app store guidelines in response to the new standards for consent and personal data management for apps targeting minors.