Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from across the country, has proposed updates to regulations implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Attorney General Bonta expressed his support for these updates, stating, “The Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule would strengthen our ability to enforce restrictions on companies selling children’s data and protect consumers who seek to manage what information websites can collect from kids.”

The proposed updates to COPPA include requiring separate “opt-in” consent for targeted advertising, clarifying the “mixed audience” category, adding “biometric identifiers” to the definition of “personal information,” imposing limits on the “support for the internal operations” exception, restricting operators’ use of personal information to prompt children to stay online, and enhancing data security, retention, and deletion requirements.

Attorney General Bonta emphasized his commitment to protecting children online, referencing previous actions taken to safeguard children's digital well-being. In October 2023, he led a coalition of attorneys general in a lawsuit against Meta Platforms for allegedly designing harmful features on Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, in November 2023, Attorney General Bonta made public a federal complaint against Meta, shedding light on the alleged misconduct.

Furthermore, Attorney General Bonta and his counterparts from various states have supported efforts to address youth mental health concerns related to social media platforms. In March 2023, they filed an amicus brief in support of compelling TikTok to produce subpoenaed materials for ongoing investigations. In January 2024, Attorney General Bonta, along with Senator Nancy Skinner and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, introduced legislation aiming to protect youth online.

The multistate letter proposing updates to the COPPA Rule was signed by attorneys general from numerous states, demonstrating a collective effort to enhance online privacy protections for children.