United States

National jurisdiction · as of 2026-07-15

Federal law addresses children's online privacy mainly through the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and its 2025 FTC rule amendments, which require verifiable parental consent before a covered operator collects personal information from a child under 13. Congress has not enacted a comprehensive age verification, social media minor access, or app store age verification statute. The House passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act in June 2026, consolidating the Kids Online Safety Act and COPPA 2.0 among other bills, while the Senate's standalone Kids Online Safety Act (which passed the Senate 91-3 in the 118th Congress) remains in committee, and a bipartisan federal App Store Accountability Act has been introduced in both chambers. None of the pending bills had become law as of July 2026.

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Instruments on record

App Store Accountability Act (federal), H.R. 3149 / S. 1586

Proposed

H.R. 3149 / S. 1586, 119th Congress

Applies to private

Would require app store operators to verify a user's age at account creation, sort users into age categories without disclosing exact birthdates, and require parental consent for minors to download apps or make in-app purchases. Would preempt state app store age verification laws and designate the FTC as primary enforcer. Introduced May 2025; has not passed either chamber as of July 2026.

Age threshold18
Verification methodsdigital id, device signal, self declaration
Enforcement bodyFederal Trade Commission (proposed)
Private suitsno

Source: H.R. 3149 / S. 1586, 119th Congress

S. 1748, Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)

Proposed

S. 1748, 119th Congress

Applies to private

Would impose a duty of care on covered online platforms to prevent and mitigate specified harms to minors, require default safeguards and parental tools for known minors, and mandate transparency reporting. An earlier version passed the Senate 91-3 in July 2024 (118th Congress) but died in the House. Reintroduced May 14, 2025 by Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal with Senate leadership support; pending in the Senate Commerce Committee as of July 2026, and partially consolidated into the House-passed KIDS Act without its duty of care provision.

Age threshold17
Verification methodsself declaration, device signal
Enforcement bodyFederal Trade Commission and state attorneys general (proposed)

Source: S. 1748, 119th Congress

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

In force

15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-6506; 16 C.F.R. Part 312

Effective 2000-04-21 · Applies to private

Requires operators of websites and online services directed to children under 13, or that have actual knowledge they collect data from a child under 13, to provide notice and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information.

Age threshold13
Verification methodsparental consent
PenaltiesCivil penalties per violation, adjusted periodically for inflation, enforced by the FTC and state attorneys general.
Enforcement bodyFederal Trade Commission and state attorneys general
Private suitsno

Source: 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-6506; 16 C.F.R. Part 312

Amended COPPA Rule (2025)

In force

16 C.F.R. Part 312, as amended, 90 Fed. Reg. 16918 (Apr. 22, 2025)

Effective 2025-06-23 · Applies to private

Requires separate verifiable parental consent for disclosing a child's personal information to third parties for targeted advertising, adds a text plus consent method, and expands recordkeeping and data retention limits. Operators had until April 22, 2026 to come into full compliance.

Age threshold13
Verification methodsparental consent
Enforcement bodyFederal Trade Commission

Source: 16 C.F.R. Part 312, as amended, 90 Fed. Reg. 16918 (Apr. 22, 2025)

H.R. 7757, Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act

Proposed

H.R. 7757, 119th Congress

Applies to private

Consolidates the Kids Online Safety Act, the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), a data broker registry, and other child safety bills. Would require default privacy and safety settings for minors, age verification for access to mature content, and AI chatbot disclosure. Passed the House 267-117 on June 29, 2026, without KOSA's original duty of care provision; pending in the Senate.

Verification methodsself declaration, parental consent, third party service
Enforcement bodyFederal Trade Commission (proposed)

Source: H.R. 7757, 119th Congress