Recent news:
In March of 2026, a New Mexico jury ordered American technology company Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users about platform safety and failing to protect children.
What does this mean?
- If megacorporations like Meta are being called out for how they treat teens, it is important to understand what rights you have and what you can do.
Certain protection acts like COPPA have been brought up in this discussion recently.
COPPA: Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
- A federal law that limits what websites can collect from users under the age of 13 (ex: name, location, photos, browsing habits, etc.)
However, COPPA currently only covers kids under 13. If you're 13+, companies have had much more freedom to collect and use your data.
But, congress just unanimously passed COPPA 2.0 in the Senate, which would extend protections to teens up to age 17, including banning targeted advertising to teens entirely. It still needs to pass the House.
YOUR RIGHTS RIGHT NOW:
- You can request to see what personal data a company has collected on you and ask them to delete it.
- In many states, you can opt out of having your data sold to third parties
- Florida has its own law called the Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR), which took effect in July 2024. Unlike most states that only protect kids under 13, Florida defines a "child" as anyone under 18, meaning teens up to 17 get extra protections here.
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