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

**The primary objective of COPPA is to protect the online privacy of children under 13 by requiring verifiable parental consent before operators collect, use, or disclose their personal information.** Enacted in 1998 and effective April 21, 2000, COPPA targets commercial websites, online services, mobile apps, and IoT devices directed to children or with actual knowledge of their users. It mandates comprehensive privacy policies, data minimization, parental access/review/deletion rights, and data security.

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 collecting or benefiting from such data, like ad networks, with extraterritorial reach to services processing U.S. children's data. Non-profits are exempt if not commercial.

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 requires audits by designated entities.** Examples include iKeepSafe (approved 2014) and ESRB modifications (2018), which provide compliance safe harbors through self-regulatory oversight.

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

**COPPA does not prescribe a fixed frequency for assessments, but operators must conduct ongoing reviews to ensure continuous compliance with evolving data practices and FTC guidance.** Regular evaluations are essential for age-screening, consent mechanisms, and actual knowledge monitoring, especially amid tech changes like AI personalization.

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, with state AGs able to sue.** Landmark cases include YouTube's $170 million fine in 2019 for unconsented tracking on child-directed content. Additional risks include injunctions, data deletion orders, and reputational damage.

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

**Yes, COPPA can be mapped to other international frameworks, serving as a baseline for child privacy protections with its strict under-13 consent and broad personal information definitions.** Its principles of parental consent, data minimization, and security align with global standards, though it remains U.S.-specific with extraterritorial effect.

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 has actual knowledge of their users.** This involves reviewing content appeal (e.g., cartoons, games), traffic analytics, and behavioral signals, followed by posting a comprehensive privacy policy.

What is the primary objective of **NIST 800-53**?

**NIST SP 800-53 provides a catalog of security and privacy controls to protect organizational operations, assets, individuals, other organizations, and the Nation from diverse threats including hostile attacks, human errors, natural disasters, and privacy risks.** Revision 5 organizes 20 control families (e.g., AC Access Control, SR Supply Chain Risk Management) with over 1,100 base controls and enhancements, emphasizing functionality and assurance through outcome-based statements. Controls are selected via SP 800-53B baselines (Low, Moderate, High per FIPS 199) and integrated into the Risk Management Framework (RMF) in SP 800-37 for risk-managed implementation, assessment (SP 800-53A), authorization, and monitoring.

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with **NIST 800-53**?

**Federal agencies and contractors processing federal information are legally required to implement NIST SP 800-53 controls under FISMA and OMB A-130.** SP 800-53B mandates minimum controls for federal systems per FIPS 199/200 impact levels. Contractors face contractual obligations; cloud providers seek FedRAMP authorization mapping to 800-53 baselines. Non-federal entities (state/local governments, critical infrastructure, private sector) adopt voluntarily for robust risk management, especially handling CUI.

Does **NIST 800-53** require an external audit or third-party certification?

**No, NIST SP 800-53 does not require external audits or third-party certification; it mandates internal assessments per SP 800-53A procedures within the RMF.** Organizations assess control effectiveness using determination statements, document in Security Assessment Reports (SARs), and obtain Authorizing Official approval for Authorization to Operate (ATO). Continuous monitoring (CA-7) and POA&Ms ensure ongoing verification; external assessors may support high-impact systems but are not prescribed.

How often should an assessment for **NIST 800-53** be performed?

**NIST SP 800-53 assessments occur continuously via RMF monitoring, with full reassessments triggered by changes or annually for most systems.** SP 800-53A supports risk-based cadences: real-time for high-impact controls (e.g., AU-6 audit analysis), monthly/quarterly for moderate, annual for low. CA-7 requires ongoing monitoring of security/privacy posture, with POA&M updates tying to events like patches (SI-2) or configuration changes (CM-2).

What are the consequences of non-compliance with **NIST 800-53**?

**Non-compliance with NIST SP 800-53 for federal entities risks FISMA violations, contract termination, fines, and loss of ATO.** Agencies face OMB oversight, IG audits, and funding cuts; contractors lose eligibility for federal work or FedRAMP. Operationally, weak controls amplify breach impacts, cost overruns (e.g., GAO-reported DOD delays), and reputational damage from unaddressed risks like supply chain compromises (SR family).

Can **NIST 800-53** be mapped to other international frameworks?

**Yes, NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 provides official mappings to frameworks like NIST CSF 2.0, NIST Privacy Framework, and ISO/IEC 27001:2022.** SP 800-53B and OLIR crosswalks indicate coverage relationships for gap analysis and multi-framework reporting, but NIST cautions they show relationships, not strict equivalency, requiring validation for specific requirements.

What is the first step to begin implementing **NIST 800-53**?

**The first step is system categorization per FIPS 199 to determine Low/Moderate/High impact levels for confidentiality, integrity, and availability.** This informs SP 800-53B baseline selection, followed by tailoring, parameterization, and RMF Prepare step documentation in security/privacy plans.

COPPA vs NIST 800-53

Standards Comparison

COPPA

Mandatory

1998

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

NIST 800-53

Mandatory

2020

U.S. catalog of security and privacy controls

Quick Verdict

COPPA mandates parental consent for children's online data collection, enforced by FTC fines up to $43K/violation. NIST 800-53 offers flexible security/privacy controls via RMF for federal systems. Companies use COPPA for child privacy compliance, NIST for comprehensive risk management.

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 collecting data from children under 13
Defines broad personal information including persistent IDs and geolocation
Targets operators with child-directed content or actual knowledge
Enforced by FTC with $43,792 civil penalties per violation
Grants parents access, review, and deletion rights for child data

Security Controls

NIST 800-53

NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5

Cost

€€€

Complexity

Medium

Implementation Time

18-24 months

Key Features

20 control families with 1,100+ security/privacy controls
Risk-based baselines for low/moderate/high impact levels
Tailoring, overlays, and organization-defined parameters
Integrated RMF lifecycle for continuous monitoring
OSCAL machine-readable formats for automation

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, enforced by the FTC. It protects children under 13 from unauthorized personal data collection by commercial online operators (websites, apps, IoT). Scope covers child-directed services or those with actual knowledge. Core approach: verifiable parental consent before collection/use/disclosure.

Key Components

**Verifiable Parental Consent (VPC)Methods like credit card, video call (11+ options, sliding scale).
**Personal InformationNames, addresses, persistent IDs, street-level geolocation, audio/video files.
Obligations: Privacy policies, data security, minimization, parental access/review/deletion.
Safe harbors for self-regulation. Compliance via self-assessment, FTC oversight.

Why Organizations Use It

Mandatory to avoid fines ($43,792/violation; YouTube $170M example).
Builds parental trust, reduces risks in gaming/edtech.
Enhances reputation, enables global U.S. child data handling.
Aligns with privacy trends, prevents enforcement actions.

Implementation Overview

Analyze audience, deploy age gates/VPC, draft policies.
Audit data practices/third-parties, minimize collection.
All sizes/industries targeting kids; global reach.
Ongoing monitoring, safe harbor audits; no formal certification.

NIST 800-53 Details

What It Is

NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 is the U.S. federal government's primary catalog of security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations. This risk-based framework provides standardized safeguards to protect confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy risks, integrated into an organization-wide risk management process.

Key Components

20 control families (e.g., AC, AU, SR, PT) with over 1,100 base controls and enhancements.
Baselines in SP 800-53B for Low/Moderate/High impact levels plus privacy baseline.
Outcome-based controls, parameters, tailoring, overlays, and OSCAL machine-readable formats.
Compliance via RMF lifecycle: categorize, select, implement, assess, authorize, monitor.

Why Organizations Use It

Meets FISMA/OMB A-130 mandates for federal entities/contractors.
Enhances risk management, resilience, and supply chain security.
Builds trust, enables reciprocity, and supports FedRAMP/cloud adoption.
Maps to CSF, ISO 27001 for multi-framework leverage.

Implementation Overview

**Phased RMF approachcategorize systems, select/tailor baselines, automate evidence.
Applies to federal, contractors, critical infrastructure; scalable via overlays.
Requires assessments (SP 800-53A), continuous monitoring; no formal certification but audit-driven.

Key Differences

Aspect	COPPA	NIST 800-53
Scope	Children under 13 online privacy and data collection
Industry	Commercial websites/apps targeting children, global
Nature	Mandatory FTC regulation with parental consent
Testing	FTC audits and enforcement actions
Penalties	$43,792 per violation, FTC fines

Scope

COPPA

Children under 13 online privacy and data collection

NIST 800-53

Not specified

Industry

COPPA

Commercial websites/apps targeting children, global

NIST 800-53

Not specified

Nature

COPPA

Mandatory FTC regulation with parental consent

NIST 800-53

Not specified

Testing

COPPA

FTC audits and enforcement actions

NIST 800-53

Not specified

Penalties

COPPA

$43,792 per violation, FTC fines

NIST 800-53

Not specified

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about COPPA and NIST 800-53

COPPA FAQ

NIST 800-53 FAQ

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COPPA

NIST 800-53

Quick Verdict

COPPA

Key Features

NIST 800-53

Key Features

Detailed Analysis

COPPA Details

What It Is

Key Components

Why Organizations Use It

Implementation Overview

NIST 800-53 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?

NIST 800-53 FAQ

What is the primary objective of NIST 800-53?

Who is legally or professionally required to comply with NIST 800-53?

Does NIST 800-53 require an external audit or third-party certification?

How often should an assessment for NIST 800-53 be performed?

What are the consequences of non-compliance with NIST 800-53?

Can NIST 800-53 be mapped to other international frameworks?

What is the first step to begin implementing NIST 800-53?

You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

Beyond the Boardroom: 5 Ways Modern Compliance Software Elevates Every Department

What is DORA and which Requirements does the Standard define?

The Human-AI Synergy: How Modern Compliance Tools Amplify Your Team's Strategic Impact

Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages

EN 1090 vs Australian Privacy Act

NIST 800-53 vs ISO 30301

ISA 95 vs Basel III