COPPA — Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

Overview

The Children’sOnline Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a United States federalregulation that helps organizations protect the online privacy andpersonal information of children under the age of 13. Its primarypurpose is to establish privacy requirements and restrictions forwebsites, applications, and online services directed at children orknowingly collecting information from them.

COPPA isadministered and enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Itapplies to operators of commercial websites and online services,including mobile apps and advertising networks, that either targetchildren under 13 or collect their data. The regulation addressesareas such as consent management, data collection limitations,parental access, and requirements for security controls to safeguardchildren’s information.

Organizationscomply with COPPA by implementing privacy policies, obtainingverifiable parental consent before collecting children’s data,applying restrictions on personal data use, and maintainingappropriate safeguards. COPPA compliance is often integrated intobroader data protection, risk management, and regulatory complianceprograms, particularly for entities operating in the digital,education, or entertainment sectors.

Why it Matters

COPPAestablishes essential privacy safeguards that help organizationsresponsibly manage children’s personal data while supportingregulatory compliance and risk mitigation.

Key benefitsinclude:

•  Strengthen data protection measures

Supportresponsible collection, use, and storage of children’s personalinformation through clear management practices and securitysafeguards.

•  Enhance regulatory alignment

Enableorganizations to demonstrate compliance with U.S. federalrequirements governing children’s privacy and online datacollection activities.

•  Increase parental trust

Facilitatetransparency and parental control over children’s information,promoting confidence among parents and guardians.

•  Improve risk management

Reduce the riskof legal penalties and reputational harm by adhering to mandatedconsent, access, and data usage requirements.

•  Support operational integrity

Encourage robustprivacy processes that integrate with existing compliance programs,fostering consistent and secure digital offerings for children.

How it Works

The Children’sOnline Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) establishes a regulatoryframework specifically structured around compliance requirements fororganizations collecting, using, or disclosing personal informationfrom children under 13. COPPA’s structure is built on a set ofregulatory mandates that define obligations related to parentalconsent, privacy notices, data minimization, and security safeguards.The framework also clarifies responsibilities through definedprocesses for verification, consent management, data access rights,and oversight.

Organizationsimplement COPPA by integrating compliant privacy practices into theirdata collection workflows and governance programs. This involvesdeploying security controls to protect children’s data, conductingregular compliance assessments, and ensuring that parental consentmechanisms are in place and verifiable. Ongoing monitoring, incidentmanagement, and documentation of privacy practices help organizationsmaintain alignment with COPPA requirements and support their riskmanagement activities.

UsingSmartSuite, organizations operationalize COPPA compliance byleveraging centralized control libraries for COPPA mandates,maintaining risk registers to track data protection risks, andsupporting evidence collection for audits. Policy governance tools,compliance tracking, remediation workflows, and real-time reportingdashboards facilitate effective management of COPPA-specificobligations and support audit readiness.

Key Elements

•  Parental Consent Mechanisms

Establishesstructured processes for obtaining and verifying parental permissionprior to collecting children’s personal information.

•  Data Collection Limitations

Specifiesboundaries on what data may be gathered from children and under whatcircumstances.

•  Privacy Notice Requirements

Outlinesrequirements for providing clear, accessible privacy policiesregarding children’s data practices.

•  Parental Access and Control Procedures

Describesmechanisms for allowing parents to review, modify, or delete theirchild’s information.

•  Information Security Safeguards

Defines securitycontrols necessary to protect the confidentiality and integrity ofchildren’s personal data.

•  Regulatory Oversight and Enforcement

Organizesfederal oversight, monitoring, and compliance enforcementresponsibilities under the Federal Trade Commission.

Framework Scope

COPPA—Children’sOnline Privacy Protection Act—is used by digital service providers,education platforms, and entertainment companies interacting withchildren under 13. The act governs websites, mobile applications, andonline services handling children’s data, and is commonlyimplemented when managing parental consent, privacy risk, andsupporting compliance oversight with federal privacy obligations.

Framework Objectives

COPPA sets forthessential requirements to safeguard children’s online privacy andensure responsible data practices for organizations collectingminors’ information.

•  Protect the personal data of children under 13 from unauthorizedaccess

•  Establish clear governance and accountability for children’sdata privacy

•  Enhance compliance with regulatory standards and FTC enforcementactions

•  Support risk management by requiring verifiable parental consentmechanisms

•  Strengthen security controls around the collection and storageof children’s information

•  Demonstrate commitment to data protection, privacy, and improvedoversight in digital environments COPPA is a U.S. law focused onchildren's online privacy and is often mapped to broader privacyframeworks like GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and ISO/IEC 27701 to harmonizeconsent, data minimization, and parental controls. Organizationsimplement COPPA for regulatory compliance, privacy-by-design inchild-directed products, policy updates, vendor assessments, andaudit readiness.

Common Framework Mappings

Organizationsmap COPPA to global and national privacy frameworks to align consent,data minimization, cross border rules and youth protections,simplifying compliance and risk management.

Mappedframeworks include:

APEC PrivacyFramework

CaliforniaConsumer Privacy Act (CCPA) / California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)

ePrivacyDirective

EU General DataProtection Regulation (GDPR)

ISO/IEC 27701

Lei Geral deProteção de Dados (LGPD)

NIST PrivacyFramework

PersonalInformation Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)