Story perspectives

Senate Passes COPPA 2.0; House Debates Age Verification Bill

3/9/2026

Center

Senate Strengthens Online Privacy

The Senate unanimously passed the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), strengthening privacy for users under 17.
The House is deliberating a Republican bill requiring age verification for app downloads and parental consent.
Industry group NetChoice expressed concerns about potential constitutional issues with the proposals.
Democrats criticized the package for lacking a duty of care and said amendments to improve protections were rejected along party lines.

Right

Regulators Enforce Age Verification

Regulators in Europe, Brazil, and some U.S. states are pursuing age-verification rules for social media, following Australia’s ban on teen accounts.
Advances in age-assurance technology, including facial analysis and ID checks, have improved accuracy and reduced costs.
Australia reports significant account removals, but experts caution that overall compliance may be limited.
Concerns persist that social media companies may undermine robust age checks to avoid broad regulatory adoption, amid privacy challenges.

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Senate Strengthens Online Privacy

The Senate unanimously passed the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), strengthening privacy for users under 17.
The House is deliberating a Republican bill requiring age verification for app downloads and parental consent.
Industry group NetChoice expressed concerns about potential constitutional issues with the proposals.
Democrats criticized the package for lacking a duty of care and said amendments to improve protections were rejected along party lines.

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