US Senate Unanimously Passes COPPA 2.0 Privacy Bill

The United States Senate unanimously passed the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, known as COPPA 2.0, on March 5, 2026. Introduced by Senators Ed Markey and Bill Cassidy, the legislation modernizes the original 1998 act by prohibiting website and app operators from knowingly serving targeted advertisements to users under 17. The bill specifically bans the collection of personal data—including biometrics, location data, IP addresses, and cookies—from users aged 13 to 16 without their consent, though it still allows for contextual advertising based on site content.

Following the Senate's action, the bill faces a more complex path in the House of Representatives, where previous versions failed. In response to the Senate vote, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie withdrew a version of the bill from the committee's agenda to facilitate a bipartisan agreement.

Industry reaction to the measure is divided. NetChoice, an industry group representing companies such as Meta, Reddit, and X, has opposed the bill. However, Google, a NetChoice member, shifted its position to support the legislation. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described the passage as a big step forward for protecting children, while Senator Ed Markey stated that families have waited too long for Congress to stop the tracking and targeting of minors online.