What is the primary objective of **COPPA**?

**The primary objective of COPPA is to protect the online privacy of children under 13 by limiting unauthorized collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information.** Enacted in 1998 and effective April 21, 2000, COPPA requires operators of commercial websites, online services, mobile apps, and IoT devices directed to children—or with actual knowledge of collecting data from them—to obtain verifiable parental consent (VPC) prior to any such activities, while mandating comprehensive privacy policies, data security, and parental rights to review and delete information.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **COPPA**?

**Operators of commercial websites, online services, mobile apps, and IoT devices that are directed to children under 13 or have actual knowledge of collecting personal information from them must comply with COPPA.** This includes entities benefiting from data collection, such as ad networks, and applies extraterritorially to foreign services targeting U.S. children; non-profits are exempt unless commercial activities are involved.

Does **COPPA** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**COPPA does not mandate external audits or third-party certification for all operators, but participation in FTC-approved safe harbor programs (e.g., iKeepSafe or ESRB) involves self-regulatory audits.** Operators must ensure ongoing compliance through internal measures like data minimization and security, with safe harbors providing FTC-recognized alternatives to direct enforcement.

How often should an assessment for **COPPA** be performed?

**COPPA does not prescribe a fixed frequency for assessments, but operators should conduct regular internal reviews, particularly after technology changes, data practice updates, or FTC regulatory reviews (e.g., 2019 comment periods).** Ongoing monitoring is essential to maintain verifiable parental consent mechanisms, privacy policies, and defenses against "actual knowledge" claims based on behavioral signals like high child traffic.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **COPPA**?

**Non-compliance with COPPA results in civil penalties up to $43,792 per violation, enforced by the FTC as unfair or deceptive practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act, with state AGs able to sue.** High-profile cases include YouTube's $170 million fine in 2019 for unconsented tracking on child-directed content, plus potential injunctions, data deletion orders, and reputational damage.

Can **COPPA** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, COPPA can be mapped to other international frameworks through shared principles like parental consent, data minimization, and child privacy protections, though specifics differ.** Its extraterritorial reach aligns with global standards by covering U.S.-targeted services worldwide, with safe harbors like ESRB incorporating worldwide child protections as recommended by advocacy groups.

What is the first step to begin implementing **COPPA**?

**The first step to implement COPPA is to conduct an audience analysis to determine if your service is directed to children under 13 or risks "actual knowledge" of their data collection.** This involves reviewing content appeal (e.g., cartoons, games), traffic analytics, and third-party trackers, followed by posting a comprehensive privacy policy and selecting appropriate verifiable parental consent methods.

What is the primary objective of **EMAS**?

**The primary objective of EMAS is to promote continuous improvement in environmental performance through structured environmental management systems, systematic evaluation, public information provision, stakeholder dialogue, and active employee involvement.** As defined in Article 1 of **Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009** (EMAS III), it requires organisations to implement an EMS, conduct periodic performance audits, publish validated environmental statements per Annex IV, and demonstrate verifiable progress in core indicators like energy, emissions, water, waste, materials, and biodiversity.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **EMAS**?

**No organisation is legally required to comply with EMAS, as it is a voluntary scheme under EU Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009.** Participation is open to any organisation—public or private, any sector or size, within or outside the EU—seeking credible environmental governance. As of September 2025, 4,141 organisations and 16,154 sites are registered, with strong uptake in waste (655 organisations), public authorities, and manufacturing.

Does **EMAS** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**Yes, EMAS mandates independent verification and validation by accredited/licensed environmental verifiers for initial registration, renewals, and annual environmental statements.** Verifiers (supervised per Articles 18–23) confirm EMS conformity (Annex II), legal compliance, performance data, and statement accuracy (Annex IV), issuing a declaration (Annex VII) reviewed by national Competent Bodies before registration.

How often should an assessment for **EMAS** be performed?

**EMAS requires internal audits covering all activities at least every three years (four for eligible small organisations), annual environmental statement updates with validation, and full verification every three years.** Per Article 6 and Annex III, management reviews are periodic; substantial changes trigger reviews within six months (Article 8). SME derogations (Article 7) allow biennial statement validation if low-risk.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **EMAS**?

**Non-compliance with EMAS leads to suspension or deletion from the register by national Competent Bodies, loss of EMAS logo use, and potential reputational damage.** Per Articles 6, 15, and 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009, failure to submit validated statements, demonstrate legal compliance, or maintain EMS results in deregistration; no direct fines apply, as participation is voluntary.

Can **EMAS** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, EMAS fully incorporates ISO 14001 EMS requirements (Annex II) and supports alignment with frameworks like CSRD/ESRS via validated core indicators.** EMAS exceeds ISO 14001 with verified legal compliance, public statements, and performance improvement; Article 45 allows Competent Bodies to recognise equivalent systems (e.g., Norway’s Eco-Lighthouse) to reduce duplication.

What is the first step to begin implementing **EMAS**?

**The first step to implement EMAS is conducting an initial environmental review per Article 4 and Annex I.** This comprehensive baseline analysis identifies direct/indirect aspects, legal obligations, performance data, and significance criteria, forming the foundation for policy, EMS, objectives, and the environmental statement.

COPPA vs EMAS | GRADUM

Standards Comparison

COPPA

Mandatory

1998

U.S. law requiring parental consent for child online data

EMAS

Voluntary

1993

EU voluntary scheme for environmental management and audit

Quick Verdict

COPPA mandates parental consent for children's online data in the US, enforced by FTC fines. EMAS is voluntary EU environmental management for performance improvement via verified statements. Companies adopt COPPA for legal compliance, EMAS for credibility and efficiency.

Children Privacy

COPPA

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

6-12 months

Key Features

Mandates verifiable parental consent for child data collection
Protects children under 13 from online data collection
Expansive PII definition includes persistent IDs and geolocation
Requires parental access review and data deletion rights
FTC enforcement with up to $43,792 per-violation penalties

Environmental Management

EMAS

Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 Eco-Management and Audit Scheme

Cost

€€€€

Complexity

High

Implementation Time

12-18 months

Key Features

Validated public environmental statements
Verified legal compliance checks
Core performance indicators required
Initial environmental review mandatory
Independent verifier accreditation

Detailed Analysis

A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

COPPA Details

What It Is

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a U.S. federal regulation enacted in 1998, effective 2000, enforced by the FTC. It targets operators of commercial websites, apps, and services collecting data from children under 13, mandating verifiable parental consent (VPC) before collection, use, or disclosure. Scope covers child-directed content or known child users; 2013 amendments expanded personal information (PII) to persistent identifiers, geolocation, and multimedia.

Key Components

**Core obligationsPrivacy notices, VPC, parental access/review/deletion, data minimization, security.
11+ VPC methods (e.g., credit card, video call) on sliding scale.
Broad PII (10+ categories: names, IDs, photos/videos).
Safe harbor programs for compliance (e.g., ESRB, iKeepSafe).

Why Organizations Use It

Legal compliance avoids $43,792/violation fines (e.g., YouTube's $170M). Enhances parental trust, reduces breach risks, supports global U.S.-targeted services. Strategic for edtech, gaming, adtech amid rising enforcement.

Implementation Overview

Assess audience for child appeal; post policies, implement age screens/VPC, audit third-parties. Applies to commercial operators worldwide targeting U.S. kids; FTC audits safe harbors. Suits all sizes but burdens small operators; data retention only as needed.

EMAS Details

What It Is

EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) is an EU Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 voluntary environmental management framework. It promotes continuous improvement in environmental performance through structured systems, evaluation, and transparent reporting. Scope covers all sectors and organization types, using a PDCA cycle enhanced with verification.

Key Components

Initial environmental review, EMS (ISO 14001-aligned), internal audits, management review.
Core indicators (6 areas: energy, materials, water, waste, biodiversity, emissions).
Built on Annexes I-IV for review, EMS, audits, statements.
Independent verifier validation and Competent Body registration.

Why Organizations Use It

Drives efficiency, compliance assurance, ESG synergies.
Reduces risks via verified legal compliance.
Enhances procurement, reputation through public statements.
Builds stakeholder trust with credible transparency.

Implementation Overview

Phased: review, policy, EMS build, audits, verification.
Applies to SMEs (derogations) to multisite; EU-focused.
Requires annual validated statements, 3-year renewals.

Key Differences

Aspect	COPPA	EMAS
Scope	Children's online personal data collection	Organizational environmental performance management
Industry	Online services, apps, websites globally	All sectors in EU/EEA, voluntary
Nature	Mandatory US federal law, FTC enforced	Voluntary EU regulation, verifier validated
Testing	FTC audits, no routine certification	Annual verifier audits, internal audits
Penalties	$43k+ per violation, FTC fines	Registration suspension/deletion, no fines

Scope

COPPA

Children's online personal data collection

EMAS

Organizational environmental performance management

Industry

COPPA

Online services, apps, websites globally

EMAS

All sectors in EU/EEA, voluntary

Nature

COPPA

Mandatory US federal law, FTC enforced

EMAS

Voluntary EU regulation, verifier validated

Testing

COPPA

FTC audits, no routine certification

EMAS

Annual verifier audits, internal audits

Penalties

COPPA

$43k+ per violation, FTC fines

EMAS

Registration suspension/deletion, no fines

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about COPPA and EMAS

COPPA FAQ

EMAS FAQ

You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

HITRUST CSF MyCSF Platform Mastery: Infograph of Evidence Tagging Workflows and Top 5 Maturity Tier Acceleration Takeaways

Master MyCSF platform with infographics on evidence tagging for 1,400+ HITRUST controls across 19 domains. Cut documentation by 30%, boost Measured/Managed tier

SEC Cybersecurity Rules Materiality Determination Framework: Step-by-Step Guide with Checklists and Real-World Examples

Master SEC Form 8-K Item 1.05 materiality determinations with our step-by-step framework, checklists, case law factors, and real-world examples. Avoid enforceme

Top 5 Reasons NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Overlays Unlock AI Risk Management for Private Sector Enterprises in 2025

Top 5 reasons NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 AI overlays unlock risk management for private enterprises. Tailorable controls combat model poisoning & data leakage. CISO i

Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform

Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.

100+ Standards & Regulations

AI-Powered Insights

Collaborative Assessments

Actionable Recommendations

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

ISA 95 vs ISO 56002

Discover ISA 95 vs ISO 56002: Compare manufacturing integration (ISA-95 ERP-MES) with innovation systems (ISO 56002). Align IT/OT, boost ops, drive value. Unlock insights now!

ISA 95 vs ISO 55001

Compare ISA 95 vs ISO 55001: Bridge IT/OT gaps with ISA 95's Purdue models for ERP-MES integration; optimize assets via ISO 55001's SAMP & PDCA. Boost efficiency—read now!

ISO 26000 vs ISO 56002

Unlock ISO 26000 vs ISO 56002: Compare SR guidance (governance, human rights, environment) with innovation systems. Drive sustainability & value sans certification. Explore now!

COPPA

EMAS

Quick Verdict

COPPA

Key Features

EMAS

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

COPPA Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

EMAS Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

Key Differences

Scope

Industry

Nature

Testing

Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

COPPA FAQ

What is the primary objective of COPPA?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with COPPA?

Does COPPA require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for COPPA be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with COPPA?

Can COPPA be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing COPPA?

EMAS FAQ

What is the primary objective of EMAS?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with EMAS?

Does EMAS require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for EMAS be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with EMAS?

Can EMAS be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing EMAS?

You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

HITRUST CSF MyCSF Platform Mastery: Infograph of Evidence Tagging Workflows and Top 5 Maturity Tier Acceleration Takeaways

SEC Cybersecurity Rules Materiality Determination Framework: Step-by-Step Guide with Checklists and Real-World Examples

Top 5 Reasons NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Overlays Unlock AI Risk Management for Private Sector Enterprises in 2025

Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

ISA 95 vs ISO 56002

ISA 95 vs ISO 55001

ISO 26000 vs ISO 56002