Washington, D.C. – National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) has agreed to endorse the Children’s Online Privacy Act (2019) (S748/HR3900) introduced by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Josh Hawley (R-MO.).
“In 1998, Congress passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). It was a significant step towards protecting the personal information of children online. However, the digital landscape is vastly different now and COPPA is long overdue for an update,” stated Patrick Trueman, President and CEO for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), a nonpartisan Washington, DC nonprofit dedicated to addressing the harms of the full spectrum of sexual exploitation and abuse.Â
“The COPPA 2.0 bill expands coverage to include young teens (ages 13-15); strengthens protection for children below 13; requires a mechanism to “erase” a minor’s online personal information; requires stronger cyber-security standards for internet-connected devices designed for children; and authorizes state attorneys general to bring civil actions for violations,” explained Trueman.Â
“Although stronger steps—as NCOSE and industry experts recently laid out in a national symposium on protecting children from online exploitation—are still needed if we are to keep up with the ever-evolving digital ecosystem, we believe this bill from Senators Hawley and Markey is critically important.”
“The National Center on Sexual Exploitation applauds Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Josh Hawley for their leadership in protecting the wellbeing of children online.”
