The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a U.S. federal law designed to protect the privacy and personal information of children under the age of 13.
COPPA regulates how businesses collect, use, store, and disclose personal information from children—and it applies far more broadly than many organizations realize. It affects not only children’s websites and apps, but also platforms, services, and tools that knowingly collect data from children or are directed toward a child audience.
For businesses, COPPA compliance is not just a legal requirement—it’s a trust and risk issue that directly involves IT systems, data security, consent mechanisms, and vendor oversight.
COPPA applies to:
Websites and online services directed to children under 13
Online services that knowingly collect personal data from children
Third-party vendors (analytics, ads, plugins) that collect data through child-directed services
Businesses located inside or outside the U.S. if they collect data from U.S. children
This includes:
Educational platforms and edtech providers
Gaming and entertainment apps
Streaming or content platforms for children
Healthcare-adjacent platforms serving minors
Toy, media, and consumer product companies with child-focused digital experiences
SaaS platforms used in schools or by children
COPPA defines personal information broadly when it relates to children, including:
Full name
Home or email address
Phone number
Username or online identifier
IP address or device identifiers
Geolocation data
Photos, videos, or audio recordings of a child
Persistent identifiers used for tracking (cookies, advertising IDs)
Any information that can identify or contact a child
From an IT perspective, even metadata and tracking technologies can trigger COPPA obligations.
COPPA compliance often fails not because of intent, but because of how systems are configured.
Common risk areas include:
Analytics or ad tools collecting persistent identifiers
Inadequate age-gating mechanisms
Weak parental consent workflows
Over-collection of data
Poor access control or data retention practices
Third-party plugins collecting data outside your visibility
COPPA enforcement actions frequently cite technical misconfigurations, not just policy failures.
COPPA does not mandate specific tools, but it does require reasonable procedures to protect children’s data.
Key expectations include:
Clear notice of data collection practices
Verifiable parental consent before collection
Secure storage of consent records
Collect only what is necessary
Avoid persistent identifiers where possible
Disable unnecessary tracking or analytics
Access controls and least-privilege permissions
Encryption of data at rest and in transit
Secure cloud and application configurations
Logging and monitoring of access
Retain children’s data only as long as necessary
Securely delete data when no longer needed
Ensure third-party services comply with COPPA
Restrict data use by vendors
Maintain contracts and documentation
COPPA is often treated as a niche regulation—but the controls it requires align closely with broader frameworks like:
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
ISO 27001
SOC 2
CCPA/CPRA (for minors’ data)
GDPR (children’s data protections)
That means investments made for COPPA strengthen your overall security posture, not just child-focused services.
Here’s the truth most businesses overlook:
Most COPPA requirements are simply good data protection practices.
Strong access controls, minimal data collection, secure systems, and documented processes protect:
Children
Parents
Your business
Your reputation
COPPA doesn’t invent new security—it raises the stakes when children’s data is involved.
Our cyber risk and compliance assessments help organizations:
Identify child-related data exposure
Evaluate technical and administrative safeguards
Review consent and data handling workflows
Reduce regulatory and reputational risk
Build defensible compliance documentation
We focus on real-world controls, not theoretical checklists.
Here is a practical, high-impact roadmap.
Document:
Ensure:
Implement:
Audit:
Employees should understand:
If your business collects data from children—or could—you need clarity, not guesswork.
Understand where you stand, close the gaps that matter, and protect the people who matter most.
Talk to an Executive Advisor Today
