A new year. A new administration in Washington. While protecting kids and teens is likely to remain an issue that drives legislation, litigation, and policy discussions in 2025, issuance of 1,000 Executive Orders on day one of the Trump Administration may result in new or changed priorities and some delay in the effective date of
Advertising
Canada’s Competition Bureau Seeks Feedback on Proposed Environmental Claims Guidelines


Competition Bureau Canada (the Bureau) announced just before Christmas that it is seeking public comments on draft guidelines (the Guidelines) for assessing environmental claims for compliance with Canada’s Competition Act (the Act). The Act was amended in June 2024 by adding two specific provisions to existing general prohibitions for false and misleading representations and unsupported…
Video Game Developer Settles Alleged Violations of Federal and State Privacy Laws Governing Children’s Data


On June 18, 2024, the California Attorney General (AG) and Los Angeles City Attorney jointly announced that video game developer and publisher Tilting Point Media LLC (Tilting Point) agreed to a $500,000 settlement for violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and California Unfair Competition Law (UCL) based…
State Privacy Bills Advance While Federal Bill Introduced


As we predicted in our assessment of U.S. advertising and privacy trends in February of this year, states have continued to adopt comprehensive privacy laws during their 2024 legislative sessions. To date, nineteen states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and…
Children’s Online Privacy: KOSA and COPPA Updates



As expected, Congress’ renewed focus on expanding protections for minors online has resulted in legislative developments that attempt to mitigate harms while adhering to the Constitution’s free speech and preemption parameters. Last month, updates to both the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) 2.0 bills were released…
Children’s Online Privacy: History, Debates, and Current Legislative Developments


During 2023, legislative, congressional, and executive actions aimed at protecting children and teens online took center stage. Such actions included: legislative attempts to raise the age of a “child” at both the federal and state levels for advertising and privacy purposes; bans on behavioral advertising targeting minors; efforts to restrict access to social media by…
FTC Approves NPR Updating the COPPA Rule

On December 20, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) finally published its long-awaited proposed Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) updating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA Rule). Find out more here.
FTC Warns Two Trade Associations and 12 Online Influencers to Better Disclose Financial Connections


On November 13, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) sent warning letters to the American Beverage Association (AmeriBev), The Canadian Sugar Institute, and a dozen dietitians and influencers promoting the safety of artificial sweetener aspartame or the consumption of sugar-containing products on TikTok and Instagram. The letters allege that the dieticians and…
Youth Online Safety in the Crosshairs with NTIA Comment Request and Joint AG Meta Complaint

Children’s and teen’s online privacy and safety – particularly their mental health – continues to be an area of intense scrutiny for lawmakers, regulators, and enforcers. Last May, the Biden administration announced the creation of a new task force focused on the safety, privacy, and wellbeing of children online, linked to an Advisory on Social…
California’s AB1305: New Carbon Offset Disclosure Requirements



California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law AB1305, another in the line of bills that reflect California’s efforts to tackle climate change. AB1305 amends California’s Health and Safety Code to require certain disclosures from companies that affect claims such as carbon neutral, net zero, and the like, in reliance on voluntary carbon offsets (VCOs).