United States of America: Federal Trade Commission adopted final amendments to Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule)

On 22 April 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted final amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule), codified at 16 CFR Part 312, to enhance content moderation and data protection for children under 13 in digital environments. The amendments will take effect on 23 June 2025, with full compliance required by 22 April 2026. These amendments introduce a new definition for “mixed audience website or online service,” defined as a site or service directed to children but not primarily targeting them. The amendments require operators to implement age screening methods that are neutral and to avoid collecting any personal information before determining the user’s age, with limited exceptions. Additionally, the Rule expands the definition of “online contact information” to include mobile telephone numbers, provided they are used solely to send text messages to parents for the purpose of obtaining verifiable parental consent, and updates “personal information” to include biometric identifiers (e.g., fingerprints, handprints, retina and iris scans, DNA sequences, and data derived from voice, gait, or facial recognition), recognizing advances in identification technologies that can be used for automated or semi-automated individual recognition. The Rule also requires that collection, retention, and use of such data comply with existing provisions on information security, notice, consent, deletion, and retention, while operators are reminded to adhere to all applicable state and federal laws when using contact information to initiate parental consent processes.