Standards Comparison

    COPPA

    Mandatory
    1998

    U.S. regulation requiring parental consent for child data collection

    VS

    ISO 19600

    Voluntary
    2014

    International guidelines for compliance management systems.

    Quick Verdict

    COPPA mandates parental consent for children's online data in US digital services, while ISO 19600 provides voluntary guidelines for building organization-wide compliance systems. Companies adopt COPPA for legal compliance to avoid massive fines; ISO 19600 for scalable governance frameworks.

    Children Privacy

    COPPA

    Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Mandates verifiable parental consent for children under 13
    • Defines expansive PII including persistent IDs and geolocation
    • Targets child-directed commercial websites and online services
    • Enforces strict FTC penalties up to $43,792 per violation
    • Grants parents data access review and deletion rights
    Compliance Management

    ISO 19600

    ISO 19600:2014 Compliance management systems — Guidelines

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Principles of good governance with compliance independence
    • Risk-based identification of compliance obligations
    • PDCA cycle for continual CMS improvement
    • Scalable to organization size and complexity
    • Integration with other ISO management systems

    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), enacted 1998 and effective 2000, is a U.S. federal regulation enforced by the FTC. It safeguards children under 13 from unauthorized personal data collection by commercial websites, apps, and IoT devices directed to kids or with actual knowledge. Primary purpose: empower parents via verifiable consent before collection, use, or disclosure. Approach: risk-based obligations scaled by data sensitivity.

    Key Components

    • **Verifiable parental consent (VPC)11+ methods like credit card checks, video calls.
    • Broad PII definition (post-2013): names, addresses, persistent IDs, street-level geolocation, audio/video files.
    • Privacy notices, data security, minimization, retention limits.
    • Parental rights: access, review, deletion, revocation.
    • Safe harbor programs (e.g., ESRB, iKeepSafe) for audited compliance. FTC penalties up to $43,792 per violation.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Avoid crippling fines (e.g., YouTube's $170M).
    • Meet legal mandates for U.S.-targeted child services.
    • Reduce breach/reputation risks via security mandates.
    • Build parental trust for kid-focused products.
    • Gain global compliance edge; data minimization efficiencies.

    Implementation Overview

    • Analyze audience, implement age gates, VPC, policies.
    • Audit third-parties, ensure data security.
    • Applies to commercial operators worldwide targeting U.S. kids.
    • No formal certification; FTC/safe harbor audits. Typical: 6-12 months for SMBs/enterprises across industries.

    ISO 19600 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 19600:2014, Compliance management systems — Guidelines, is an international standard providing non-certifiable guidance for establishing, implementing, evaluating, maintaining, and improving a Compliance Management System (CMS). It applies to all organization types and sizes, using a principles-based, risk-based, scalable approach aligned with PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and ISO high-level structure.

    Key Components

    • Core clauses: context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, improvement.
    • **Principlesgood governance, proportionality, transparency, sustainability.
    • Governance focus: compliance function independence, board access, adequate resources.
    • No fixed controls; emphasizes obligations identification, risk assessment, controls, monitoring.
    • Builds on ISO 31000 risk management.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mitigates compliance risks (legal, regulatory, contractual, voluntary).
    • Enhances governance, culture, operational efficiency.
    • Supports integration with other ISO systems (e.g., 9001, 14001).
    • Builds stakeholder trust, reduces penalties, aids judicial defensibility.
    • Strategic enabler for market access, reputation.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, policy/objectives, controls/training, monitoring/audits.
    • Proportional to size/complexity; 6-36 months typical.
    • Universal applicability; no certification, but benchmarks for audits. (178 words)

    Key Differences

    Scope

    COPPA
    Children under 13 online data collection
    ISO 19600
    Organization-wide compliance management systems

    Industry

    COPPA
    Online services, apps targeting US children
    ISO 19600
    All industries, organizations worldwide

    Nature

    COPPA
    Mandatory US federal law, FTC enforced
    ISO 19600
    Voluntary international guidelines, non-certifiable

    Testing

    COPPA
    FTC audits, safe harbor program reviews
    ISO 19600
    Internal audits, management reviews recommended

    Penalties

    COPPA
    $43,792 per violation, $170M fines
    ISO 19600
    No direct penalties, guidance only

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about COPPA and ISO 19600

    COPPA FAQ

    ISO 19600 FAQ

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