Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy and Ed Markey have announced that U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz have cosponsored an updated version of their Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). The legislation includes small modifications based on conversations with stakeholders and additional technical corrections. COPPA 2.0 unanimously passed the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in July 2023.

"Our updated COPPA 2.0 bill creates strong privacy protections for young people, bans targeted advertising to kids and teens, and creates an Eraser Button for parents and kids by requiring companies to permit users to delete information. With the additional changes to the bill, COPPA 2.0 is ready to advance in the Senate," said Dr. Cassidy and Senator Markey. They expressed gratitude to Chair Cantwell and Ranking Member Cruz for their support and co-sponsorship of this important legislation and look forward to working with congressional leadership to pass COPPA 2.0.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also emphasized the need for action, stating, "The Internet has changed dramatically since the passage of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The ever-changing scope and reach of the Internet requires action from Congress. We have to protect the next generation and allow for America’s children to have the privacy they deserve. This legislation would bring children and teens’ online privacy standards into the 21st century and limit them from being subjected to targeted advertising and harmful data collection practices."

Senator Cantwell highlighted the vulnerability of children and teens in the online world and the need for stronger protections. She stated, "Children and teens are uniquely vulnerable in the online world and can be unaware and overwhelmed by the ways social media platforms can use their personal information to target them. This bill strengthens protections, closes loopholes, and raises the age of kids covered under our privacy law to make sure more children and teens are protected."

Senator Cruz emphasized the importance of safeguarding children's online privacy and holding tech companies responsible. He said, "When Congress first passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, Americans were using dial-up to search 'Ask Jeeves' instead of Google. Now, kids can access the Internet in the palm of their hands, and tech companies routinely surveil and target America’s youth. I’m proud to have worked with Senators Markey, Cantwell, and Cassidy on bipartisan legislation to empower parents to safeguard their children’s online privacy and hold tech companies responsible for keeping minors safe from data collection. Every child deserves to grow up free of a digital footprint, and this bipartisan legislation is one step closer to achieving that goal."

The original article mentions that Cassidy and Markey reintroduced the COPPA 2.0 legislation in May 2023. This legislation aims to update online data privacy rules to ensure the protection of children and teenagers online.