Senate committee advances COPPA 2 to expand data protections for teens
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Summary
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously ordered the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2) to be reported favorably, with sponsors saying the bill expands privacy protections for 13‑ to 16‑year‑olds, bans targeted advertising to minors and provides an eraser mechanism.
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Thursday ordered the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act, known as COPPA 2, to be favorably reported to the Senate after members said the bill updates the 1998 law to cover teenagers and strengthen enforcement tools.
The legislation, introduced by Senator Ed Markey and cosponsors, would expand the definition of personal information to include sensitive categories such as geolocation and biometric data, raise enforcement standards from actual knowledge to actual knowledge or knowledge fairly implied, ban targeted advertising to children and teens and create a process for minors to delete personal data.
A committee speaker said the bill “bans targeted advertising to children and teens” and specifically cited concerns about advertising for weight‑loss drugs and beauty products directed at teenage girls. The speaker also cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics that, in 2023, about 1 in 4 teenage girls seriously considered suicide and 1 in 8 attempted suicide; a separate figure for LGBTQ high‑school students attempting suicide was cited as 1 in 5.
Committee members described COPPA 2 as bipartisan and having broad support; the markup record shows the bill was ordered reported favorably along with several other bills. A sponsor noted that Google publicly endorsed COPPA 2 the day before the markup, which supporters said signals industry recognition of the need for stronger protections for young people online.
Supporters said COPPA 2 has been vetted by the committee and by the Senate previously; the sponsor noted the bill passed the Senate in earlier form by a 91–3 margin in a prior vote. Committee members urged continued work with the House and the White House to move the measure to final enactment.
Committee discussion tied the legislation to youth mental‑health concerns and to the need for regulatory safeguards around targeted advertising and persistent data collection for minors. No amendments that changed key policy distinctions were recorded during the markup.