Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act

This bill amends the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 to strengthen protections for the online collection, use, and disclosure of personal information of children and teens. It expands definitions, adds new requirements for operators, and mandates reports from the Federal Trade Commission.

Sec. 2, Online collection, use, disclosure, and deletion of personal information of children and teens: This section updates key definitions, including expanding 'operator' to cover online and mobile applications, broadening 'personal information' to include biometric data, geolocation, and persistent identifiers, and defining 'teen' as ages 13 to 16. It prohibits operators from collecting personal information from children or teens for individual-specific advertising, limits collection to what is necessary for a transaction or service, restricts storing or transferring data outside the U.S. without notice, and requires data deletion when no longer needed. Operators must obtain verifiable consent from a parent for children or from teens themselves, provide clear notices, and allow parents and teens to access, correct, or delete personal information. It also requires reasonable security practices and allows exceptions for operators under agreements with educational agencies.

Sec. 3, Study and reports of mobile and online application oversight and enforcement: The Federal Trade Commission must submit a report within three years on how platforms ensure child-directed applications comply with this Act and related rules. Additionally, within one year and annually thereafter, the Commission must report on enforcement actions, investigations, complaints, and policy recommendations.

Sec. 4, Severability: If any provision of this Act is found unenforceable, the rest of the Act remains in effect.