On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee is set to review the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) has expressed its concerns regarding this legislative proposal. While CCIA acknowledges the importance of safeguarding young internet users, it warns that COPPA 2.0 could inadvertently lead to a less secure online environment.
The association highlights issues with provisions mandating age verification, which could impose broad restrictions on online speech and raise significant First Amendment concerns. Additionally, such mandates may create compliance challenges for businesses striving to protect young users online.
Brian McMillan, CCIA Vice President for Federal Affairs, commented on the bill: “While COPPA 2.0 is a well-intentioned bill, each of its policy changes are backed by a confusing compliance mandate which makes it unclear when a company’s duties are triggered. To avoid liability, companies would be forced to utilize age verification technologies, raising serious First Amendment concerns that could silence lawful speech, and create greater privacy risks for all internet users through unnecessary data collections mandates.”