Press Release: 3/6/2026

Senator Markey Celebrates Unanimous Senate Passage of His Bipartisan Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Legislation

Washington (March 5, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today released the following statement after passing his Children and Teens’ Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) through the Senate by unanimous consent. The legislation, introduced with Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century and ensure children and teenagers are protected online. Senator Markey is the original House author of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), passed in 1998.

“Today’s unanimous passage of COPPA 2.0 through the Senate is a major step forward for protecting children and teens online. This bipartisan legislation represents the most significant update to our nation's online privacy protections for young people in more than twenty-five years. Kids, families, and parents have waited far too long for Congress to pass legislation and stop Big Tech’s relentless tracking and targeting of children and teens online. I'm ready to work with our House colleagues to enact the bipartisan, common-sense protections in COPPA 2.0 into law. We can get this done.”

Senator Markey reintroduced COPPA 2.0 in the Senate in March 2025. In June 2025, COPPA 2.0 passed unanimously through the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.