Standards Comparison

    COPPA

    Mandatory
    1998

    U.S. regulation mandating parental consent for children's online data

    VS

    ISO 22301

    Voluntary
    2019

    International standard for business continuity management systems.

    Quick Verdict

    COPPA protects children's online privacy under 13 via parental consent, enforced by FTC fines. ISO 22301 builds business continuity resilience through BCMS certification. Companies adopt COPPA for legal compliance in kid-targeted services; ISO 22301 for disruption recovery and stakeholder trust.

    Children Privacy

    COPPA

    Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

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

    Key Features

    • Mandates verifiable parental consent before child data collection
    • Targets commercial sites knowingly collecting under-13s data
    • Broadly defines personal info including geolocation and IDs
    • Imposes civil penalties up to $43,792 per violation
    • Grants parents access, review, and deletion rights
    Business Continuity

    ISO 22301

    ISO 22301:2019 Business continuity management systems Requirements

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    0-6 months

    Key Features

    • PDCA cycle for continual BCMS improvement
    • Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and risk assessment
    • Leadership commitment and BCMS policy requirements
    • Operational testing and recovery exercises
    • Integration with ISO 27001 and other standards

    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), a U.S. federal regulation enacted in 1998 and effective 2000, enforced by the FTC. Protects children under 13 from unauthorized personal data collection by commercial online operators. Uses a parental consent-based approach with strict scope for child-directed services or known child users.

    Key Components

    • Verifiable parental consent (VPC) via 11+ methods like credit cards or video calls.
    • Broad personal information definition: names, geolocation, persistent IDs, audio/video files.
    • Privacy notices, data security, minimization, and parental review/deletion rights.
    • Exceptions via FTC-approved safe harbors; no formal certification but enforcement-focused compliance.

    Why Organizations Use It

    Mandated for applicable operators to avoid crippling fines (e.g., YouTube's $170M). Enhances parental trust, mitigates reputation risks in gaming/edtech. Supports global operations targeting U.S. kids; reduces breach vulnerabilities amid rising enforcement.

    Implementation Overview

    Assess child appeal or actual knowledge; deploy age gates, VPC mechanisms, policies. Applies to websites, apps, IoT worldwide if U.S.-focused. Key steps: audits, data minimization, third-party reviews. Suitable for all sizes in child markets; safe harbors ease for enterprises.

    ISO 22301 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 22301:2019 is an international certification standard for Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). It provides a framework to protect against, reduce likelihood of, and recover from disruptions, using a risk-based PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach applicable to all organization sizes and sectors.

    Key Components

    • 10 clauses (4-10 core): context, leadership, planning (BIA/RA), support, operation, evaluation, improvement.
    • No prescriptive controls; flexible, tailored requirements.
    • Built on Annex SL for integration with ISO standards.
    • 3-year certification with annual audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Enhances resilience, minimizes downtime/financial losses.
    • Meets regulations like NIS Directive, NIST.
    • Builds stakeholder trust, competitive edges, lower insurance.
    • Proactive risk management for cyber, natural disasters.

    Implementation Overview

    • Gap analysis, BIA, policy development, training, testing.
    • 60 days possible with tools; 6-8 weeks certification.
    • Universal applicability; software aids small firms.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    COPPA
    Child online privacy under 13
    ISO 22301
    Business continuity management systems

    Industry

    COPPA
    Online services, apps, adtech worldwide
    ISO 22301
    All sectors, sizes, global applicability

    Nature

    COPPA
    US federal law, FTC enforced
    ISO 22301
    Voluntary international certification standard

    Testing

    COPPA
    Parental consent verification methods
    ISO 22301
    BIA, exercises, internal/external audits

    Penalties

    COPPA
    $43,792 per violation, FTC fines
    ISO 22301
    Loss of certification, no legal fines

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about COPPA and ISO 22301

    COPPA FAQ

    ISO 22301 FAQ

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