Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) along with U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI-05) and Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) have announced the introduction of the House companion to the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously passed COPPA 2.0 in July 2023, with Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) agreeing to cosponsor the bill in February 2024.

Dr. Cassidy expressed his support for COPPA 2.0, stating, “Rules from over 25 years ago for social media sites that did not even exist at the time are not equipped to keep children and teenagers safe online. Glad to see the House introduce COPPA 2.0 to give parents peace of mind and prohibit internet companies from collecting personal information on young teenagers without consent.”

Senator Markey emphasized the importance of the bill, saying, “This bipartisan, bicameral bill has been intensely vetted and commands broad ideological support. This is the time to pass online privacy legislation for kids and teens and stand up to the Big Tech oligarchs who continue to track and target young people online. We have never been closer to the finish line, and I will not stop until COPPA 2.0 is the law of the land.”

Representative Walberg highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating, “Children and teens are facing unprecedented pressure and manipulation online, resulting in a youth mental health crisis. It is very clear that online platforms’ data practices meaningfully contribute to this alarming trend. It’s time we strengthen and modernize the law to better protect our most vulnerable.”

Representative Castor echoed these sentiments, saying, “For many years, I’ve called out the manipulative and dark practices of Big Tech platforms and sounded the alarm about incessant surveillance and the tracking of young people. COPPA 2.0 builds upon current law to strengthen protections related to the online collection, use and disclosure of personal information of children and minors up to age 16.”

COPPA 2.0 aims to modernize and strengthen the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 to address the evolving challenges faced by children and teens in the online world. The bill intends to update privacy protections for users under the age of 13 and includes provisions to safeguard personal information, ban harmful targeted advertising, and provide tools for young people and parents to navigate the online landscape effectively.