Report: “New Bill Would Update Decades-Old Law Governing Children’s Privacy Online, Add Protection For Teens”

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) plans to introduce a bill Thursday morning that would update the decades-old law governing children’s privacy online, an effort bolstered by increased attention on the issue from lawmakers, regulators and kids’ advocates.

The bill, the Protecting the Information of our Vulnerable Children and Youth Act, would expand the existing law to include teenagers under 18 and make the rules apply to all sites that children and teens use. It would prohibit companies from using targeted advertising against kids and teens, and require companies to get consent from teens before collecting their data.

The existing law, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act or COPPA, was passed in 1998, in the burgeoning days of the Internet. The law restricts the tracking and targeting of those younger than 13 in an effort to protect kids’ privacy online.

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In the Senate, Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), one of the original sponsors of COPPA, has proposed a bill this year that would strengthen the law. His COPPA update, co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), would also expand the law to include teens.

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