WASHINGTON (March 4, 2025) – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Edward Markey (D-MA), and colleagues introduced the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) to update online data privacy rules for the 21st century and ensure children and teenagers are protected online. COPPA 2.0 would stop the data practices fueling today’s youth mental health crisis.
“Every kid has an iPad or smartphone. They’re going to use the internet. Parents should be confident they can do it safely,” said Dr. Cassidy. “COPPA 2.0 is the tool that will give parents the peace of mind they need and keep their children’s personal information secure.”
“We need strong modern legislation that keeps pace with the ever-evolving digital landscape and creates a safer online environment by addressing the youth mental health crisis and protecting the personal information of our kids,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must finally pass my Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act to extend these protections to teenagers, block targeted advertising to kids and teens, and give parents of young people an eraser button to protect them from predatory data collection practices.”
COPPA 2.0 would:
- Ban targeted advertising to children and teens.
- Create an “Eraser Button” by requiring companies to permit users delete personal information collected from a child or teens.
- Establish data minimization rules to prohibit the excessive collection of children and teens’ data.
- Revise COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard to close the loophole that allows platforms to ignore kids and teens on their side.
- Build on COPPA by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent.
Cassidy and Markey were joined by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Katie Britt (R-AL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
COPPA 2.0 is endorsed by over 50 groups and organizations including the School Superintendents Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and National Association of School Nurses.
Background
In July 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, which included COPPA 2.0, by a 91-3 vote. Cassidy highlighted the passage of his bill to protect children’s privacy online in an op-ed for The Advocate. In September 2024, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee passed COPPA 2.0.
In May 2023, Cassidy and Markey reintroduced COPPA 2.0, legislation that would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online. In July 2023, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously passed COPPA 2.0. In February 2024, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Chair and Ranking Member of the committee, agreed to cosponsor COPPA 2.0. In April 2024, U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI-05) and Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) introduced the House companion to COPPA 2.0.
