Children and Teen Online Privacy

Rep. Markey is the House author of the Children’s Online Privacy Protect Act of 1998 (COPPA), which  took major steps towards protecting the personal information of children online.  However, during the last 13 years, the Internet has changed dramatically with the creation of tens of millions of websites, the proliferation of entirely new media platforms, and the emergence of a diverse ecosystem of services, devices, and applications.  To address these changes, Rep. Markey introduced the Do Not Track Kids Act (H.R. 1895) to strengthen online safeguards for children and teens.  The Do Not Track Kids Act updates COPPA by addressing these changes in technology and Internet usage.  The bill also adds a new listing of protections for teens ages 13-17 called the “Digital Marketing Bill of Rights for Teens”, while reinforcing protections for those 12 and under.