U.S. Sen, Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), is chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. (Special to the American Press)

Special to the American Press

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D., R-La., today announced that Google has endorsed the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act .

The legislation would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century and ensure children and teenagers are protected online, Cassidy said.

“COPPA 2.0 is a common-sense tool to keep kids safe online—and Google agrees,” Cassidy said. “Today’s kids are growing up with phones and tablets. We need to make sure they can do it safely.”

Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senator Edward Markey, D-Mass., in introducing the legislation.

Specifically, COPPA 2.0 would:

• Ban targeted advertising to children and teens;
• Create an “Eraser Button” by requiring companies to permit users to delete personal information collected from a child or teen;
• Establish data minimization rules to prohibit the excessive collection of children and teens’ data;
• Revise the current “actual knowledge” standard to close the loophole that allows platforms to ignore kids and teens on their site; and
• Prohibit internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent.