Bill Overview
Title: Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act
Description: This bill extends to minors (ages 12–16) privacy protections previously applicable only to children (ages 0–12) and otherwise establishes greater online privacy protections for children and minors. Specifically, the bill prohibits an operator of a website, online service, online application, or mobile application directed to, or used or reasonably likely to be used by, a child or minor from collecting the user's personal information without providing notice and obtaining consent, providing a parent or minor with certain information upon request, conditioning participation by a user on the provision of personal information, establishing and maintaining reasonable procedures to protect the personal information collected from users. The bill also prohibits targeted marketing directed to a child or directed to a minor without the minor's consent.
Sponsors: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Target Audience
Population: People aged 0-16 years old who use the internet
Estimated Size: 40000000
- Children 0-12 years old and teens 12-16 years old are the direct targets of expanded online privacy protections in this bill.
- The bill will impact parents as they will be more involved in providing consent and managing their children's online information.
- All website operators, online services, applications, or mobile applications that cater to or could be used by children or minors would need to comply with these new regulations, therefore impacting businesses globally.
- The expansion of privacy to minors 12-16 indicates that marketers and businesses involved in data collection from this age group will be regulated more strictly.
- The bill influences ethical and compliance frameworks of companies targeting young demographics, requiring additional measures to ensure privacy.
Reasoning
- This policy primarily affects minors aged 12-16 and their families as it extends privacy protections. Parents and guardians are involved as they play a role in giving consent for data collection.
- Businesses operating in the online space, specifically those targeting young audiences, will need to modify their systems to comply with the policy or face penalties. This might require significant resources but could enhance trust among users and parents.
- Direct wellbeing impacts are expected among teenagers who might feel their privacy is better protected, thus moderately increasing their Cantril wellbeing scores over time. Parents might also feel relieved knowing their children's data is safer, though some might consider it another cumbersome task to manage.
- Some may experience no impact because their online behaviors or service providers already align with privacy-enhancing practices. Others might face inconvenience as stricter data protection protocols could lead to less personalized or slower online services.
- Hence, the simulated interviews include parents, teenagers, application developers, and privacy advocates to present multiple perspectives on the policy's impact.
Simulated Interviews
Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 14 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel better knowing that my personal information is protected.
- Sometimes it's annoying to have to ask my parents for permission first.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Student (Houston, TX)
Age: 15 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's good that companies can't just take our data.
- Games sometimes require too many permissions, I hope this changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Student (Portland, OR)
Age: 12 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.5 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've learned a lot about how important it is to keep information private.
- Happy my actions online are more protected.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Parent and Teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a parent, I'm relieved to have more control over what my kids are sharing online.
- It's good for schools too, because we are on the front line of teaching safe internet habits but it also adds to our workload.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
App Developer (New York, NY)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our development costs are definitely going to increase to comply.
- Hopefully these changes will build more trust with our users.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
High School Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.5 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Finally, the law is catching up with tech advancements.
- This will make younger people like me feel more respected online.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Privacy Advocate (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill is a significant advancement for children's online rights.
- I'm concerned about enforcement and the resources available for that.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 13 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not sure what it will change for me but glad my personal info is more secure.
- Don't like that some sites already block access for our age.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
IT Security Consultant (Boston, MA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see this as a positive change given the amount of personal data being collected online.
- As a professional, it validates my work in data protection.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Online Marketing Specialist (Seattle, WA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This might change the way we create marketing campaigns entirely.
- I'm worried about the initial adjustments but optimistic about long-term user trust.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $250000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $300000000)
Year 2: $250000000 (Low: $210000000, High: $320000000)
Year 3: $260000000 (Low: $220000000, High: $350000000)
Year 5: $270000000 (Low: $230000000, High: $360000000)
Year 10: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $400000000)
Year 100: $350000000 (Low: $300000000, High: $450000000)
Key Considerations
- The policy extends privacy protections to a broader age group, potentially affecting a wide range of digital interactions and transactions.
- The enhanced requirements for parental approval and data handling may significantly alter digital marketing strategies, particularly for products aimed at teenagers.
- There could be legal and financial implications for non-compliance, influencing the cost structures and risk management strategies of online platforms.