On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOPSA), a landmark piece of legislation designed to bolster online protections for minors. The bill, a comprehensive package that merges the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids’ Online Safety Act (KOSA), introduces several key measures aimed at enhancing the privacy and safety of children and teenagers under the age of 17. These include a ban on targeted advertising, strict consent requirements for data collection, and provisions for easy deletion of personal information.
COPPA 2.0 represents a significant update to the original 1998 law, which previously only required parental consent for children under 13. The new provisions extend these protections to teens under 17, aiming to curb the invasive data collection practices of online platforms. In addition to prohibiting targeted ads, COPPA 2.0 enforces data minimization rules, limiting the amount of information companies can collect and ensuring that minors have more control over their digital footprints.
The KOSA component of the bill introduces a “duty of care” for online platforms, mandating that websites take proactive steps to shield children from harmful content. While KOSA is designed to protect minors from exposure to inappropriate material, it has drawn criticism from civil liberties groups, who argue that it could infringe on free speech by pressuring platforms to censor content. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has voiced concerns that KOSA may lead to excessive content moderation and limit teenagers’ access to valuable information.
Despite broad support from child advocacy organizations and a strong bipartisan backing in the Senate, the KOPSA bill faces potential challenges in the House of Representatives. With only six weeks left in the legislative session, some key House members have expressed reservations about aspects of the bill. Nonetheless, supporters like Senators Ed Markey and John Cassidy remain hopeful that the legislation will advance, emphasizing the need to protect children from online exploitation and harmful practices.
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