Photo of Sheila MillarPhoto of Tracy MarshallPhoto of Anushka R. Stein

On February 25, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released an important children’s privacy enforcement discretion statement: COPPA – Enforcement Policy Statement Promoting the Adoption of Age-Verification Technology. Age verification of minors is an increasingly hot topic in children’s privacy law, as several states recently adopted laws requiring companies to conduct age verification before

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As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, while the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) remains the primary federal law protecting children’s online privacy, there is a growing patchwork of state laws aimed at protecting both children and teens online. These laws identify a variety of potential harms, but many of them expand

Photo of Sheila MillarPhoto of Tracy MarshallPhoto of Anushka R. Stein

As we look back at key privacy developments during 2025, one thing is clear: it was all about kids and teens. That trend seems likely to continue in 2026. The problem is, while there are very real concerns about the impact of online content and social media engagements on young people, legislative solutions – well-intentioned

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State legislatures have continued to enact privacy laws aimed at protecting kids and teens despite significant—and often successful—legal challenges that largely focus on First Amendment flaws. Some laws have recently gone into effect, or will become effective soon, while others are not slated to take effect until 2027. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

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Google and two Disney companies recently settled lawsuits alleging that the companies violated children’s privacy laws, once again demonstrating a heightened interest in protecting children online and putting content creators and channel owners on notice that they will be subject to strict liability for violations of federal and state privacy laws. On August 18, 2025