FTC workshop details age verification tools, regulatory efforts
FTC workshop details age verification tools, regulatory efforts
https://iapp.org/news/a/ftc-workshop-details-age-verification-tools-regulatory-efforts
Publish Date: 2026-01-29 10:28:00
Source Domain: iapp.org
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission signaled age-verification and age-assurance tools are becoming a key mechanism in privacy compliance efforts. During the FTC’s age verification workshop 28 Jan., stakeholders said proportionate and effective age assurance practices could reshape how organizations comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and the emerging network of state-level children’s online safety rules.
COPPA requires organizations collecting the personal data of children under age 13 years to remain transparent about their data collection practices and obtain parental consent. Meanwhile, state comprehensive privacy laws require similar enhanced protections and requirements for children’s data while many states are adding legislation that directly requires age verification.
“As Congress considers whether to adopt additional legislation to protect children online, which it has been doing for some time, the FTC must use every tool at our disposal, chief among them COPPA and the COPPA Rule, to empower parents for the first and best line of defense to protect children online,” FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said in his workshop remarks.
The FTC recently announced a USD10 million settlement with Disney after the agency allegedly found the company insufficiently labeled child-friendly content on YouTube. The action outlined expectations for age verification and content labeling tools by noting that companies are expected to restrict certain content to users who have not verified their age.
Ferguson noted the order “therefore authorized Disney, which uploads an incredible amount of content to YouTube to phase out the systemic review,” and implement age-verification technology to ensure COPPA compliance.
“Higher costs are no excuse for breaking the law or for relaxing standards for complying with the law, and the FTC order permits neither,” he added. “It instead encourages technological innovation in COPPA compliance, which in turn expands the protection of…
