Senator Peters Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Protect Online Privacy for Children and Teens

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in leading the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act(COPPA 2.0). This bipartisan, bicameral bill would modernize online data privacy rules to ensure children and teenagers are protected online.

"These are commonsense steps that we can take to keep kids and teenagers safe on social media and the internet," said Senator Peters. "I'm proud to help lead this bipartisan, bicameral effort to ensure parents can rest assured knowing their kids' personal data is private and protected online."

COPPA 2.0 would update the landmark Children's Online Privacy Protection Act(COPPA) - enacted in 1998 - to strengthen privacy protections and effectively safeguard young people on the internet today. In July 2023, as a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Peters helped the committee advance COPPA 2.0 to the full Senate for consideration.

Specifically, COPPA 2.0 would:

• Build on the original Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent;

• Ban targeted advertising to children and teens;

• Revise COPPA's "actual knowledge" standard;

• Create an "Eraser Button" for parents and kids by requiring companies to permit users to eliminate content or personal information from a child or teen when technologically feasible; and,

• Establish a "Digital Marketing Bill of Rights for Teens" that limits the collection of personal information of teens.

COPPA 2.0 is supported by numerous stakeholders, including the National Education Association, American Association of School Administrators (AASA), The School Superintendents Association, American Federation of Teachers, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), Consortium for School Networking, Council of the Great City Schools, National Association for Pupil Transportation, National Rural Education Association, National School Boards Association, Public Interest Privacy Center, and Public Knowledge.

Senator Peters is also an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The Kids Online Safety Act - which passed the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in July 2023 - would protect children online by providing young people and parents with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to help safeguard against online harms. The bill would require social media platforms to put the well-being of children first, ensuring an environment that is safer by default. It also would require independent audits by experts to ensure the platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids.

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