COPPA
U.S. regulation requiring parental consent for children's online data
FedRAMP
U.S. government program standardizing cloud security authorization.
Quick Verdict
COPPA protects children under 13 online via parental consent, while FedRAMP authorizes secure cloud for federal use through rigorous assessments. Companies adopt COPPA to avoid massive fines; FedRAMP to win government contracts.
COPPA
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Key Features
- Mandates verifiable parental consent before child data collection
- Targets child-directed websites, apps, and online services
- Broad PII definition includes persistent IDs and geolocation
- Provides parental access, review, and data deletion rights
- FTC enforcement with up to $43,792 per violation fines
FedRAMP
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program
Key Features
- Assess once, use many times reusability across agencies
- NIST 800-53 Rev 5 baselines at Low/Moderate/High levels
- Independent 3PAO security assessments and audits
- Continuous monitoring with monthly/annual reporting
- FedRAMP Marketplace for authorized CSP listings
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 April 2000, administered by the FTC. It safeguards children under 13 from unauthorized personal data collection by commercial websites, apps, and services directed at kids or with actual knowledge of users' age. Primary purpose: empower parents via verifiable consent before collection, use, or disclosure. Risk-based scope targets operators benefiting from data, including ad networks, with 2013 amendments expanding PII to persistent IDs, geolocation, and multimedia.
Key Components
- **Verifiable parental consent (VPC)11+ methods like credit cards, video calls.
- Comprehensive privacy policies and notices.
- Broad PII (10+ categories: names, device IDs, photos/videos).
- Parental rights for access, review, deletion, revocation.
- Data minimization, security, no-conditioning on consent.
- Safe harbor self-regulatory programs (e.g., ESRB, iKeepSafe).
Why Organizations Use It
Ensures legal compliance amid FTC enforcement ($43,792/violation; YouTube $170M fine). Mitigates risks from edtech, gaming, IoT. Builds parent/stakeholder trust, enables child markets. Global applicability deters violations; precedents guide best practices.
Implementation Overview
Assess child-directed status via analytics; deploy age gates, VPC mechanisms, policies. Key activities: data audits, tracker removal, training. Applies to commercial ops targeting U.S. kids worldwide; suits all sizes. Safe harbors require audits; no universal certification but FTC oversight.
FedRAMP Details
What It Is
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a U.S. government-wide framework standardizing security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud services used by federal agencies. Its primary purpose is enabling "assess once, use many times" to reduce duplication, based on NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 controls and FIPS 199 impact levels (Low, Moderate, High, LI-SaaS).
Key Components
- Baselines with ~156 (Low), ~323 (Moderate), ~410 (High) controls across 20 families.
- Core artifacts: SSP, SAR, POA&M, continuous monitoring plans.
- Built on NIST standards; compliance via 3PAO assessments and agency/program ATOs.
Why Organizations Use It
- Unlocks federal contracts worth $20M+; required for CMMC-compliant DoD work.
- Enhances risk management, builds stakeholder trust as security badge.
- Competitive edge for commercial sales; streamlines procurement.
Implementation Overview
- Phased: sponsor/prep/assessment/monitoring; 12-18 months typical.
- Applies to CSPs targeting U.S. federal market; involves 3PAOs, documentation.
- High costs ($150k-$2M+); ongoing quarterly/annual reporting. (178 words)
Key Differences
| Aspect | COPPA | FedRAMP |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Child online privacy under 13 | Cloud security for federal agencies |
| Industry | Commercial websites/apps global | Cloud providers for US government |
| Nature | Mandatory FTC regulation | Standardized authorization program |
| Testing | Self-compliance parental consent | 3PAO assessments continuous monitoring |
| Penalties | $43k per violation fines | Revocation contract loss |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about COPPA and FedRAMP
COPPA FAQ
FedRAMP FAQ
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