COPPA
U.S. regulation requiring parental consent for children's online privacy
U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules
U.S. SEC regulation for cybersecurity incident disclosure and governance
Quick Verdict
COPPA protects children under 13's online privacy via parental consent for websites and apps, while U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules mandate public companies disclose material cyber incidents within four days and detail governance annually. Organizations comply to avoid fines and meet legal obligations.
COPPA
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Key Features
- Requires verifiable parental consent for under-13 data collection
- Defines broad PII including persistent IDs and geolocation
- Targets child-directed websites apps IoT with actual knowledge
- Enforces high FTC penalties up to $43,792 per violation
- Provides parental data access review and deletion rights
U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules
Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident Disclosure
Key Features
- Four-business-day material incident disclosure on Form 8-K
- Annual risk management and governance in Item 106
- Board oversight and management role disclosures
- Inline XBRL tagging for comparability
- Materiality determination without unreasonable delay
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 October 1998 and effective April 2000, is a U.S. federal regulation enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It safeguards children under 13 years old from unauthorized collection of personal information by operators of commercial websites, online services, apps, and IoT devices. Core philosophy: empowers parents with control via verifiable parental consent (VPC) before data collection, use, or disclosure; risk-based on data sensitivity.
Key Components
- **VPC Mechanisms11+ methods like credit card verification, video calls, signed forms.
- **Personal Information ScopeNames, addresses, persistent identifiers (IP, device IDs), street-level geolocation, audio/video files.
- **Operator DutiesPost privacy policies, ensure data security, enable parental review/deletion/revocation, minimize collection.
- **Compliance ModelDirect FTC adherence or FTC-approved safe harbors (e.g., iKeepSafe, ESRB) with audits; applies globally to U.S. child data.
Why Organizations Use It
Mandated for applicable operators to avoid civil penalties up to $43,792 per violation (e.g., YouTube $170M fine). Builds parental trust, mitigates reputation risks from breaches, supports ethical marketing amid rising child online activity.
Implementation Overview
Conduct audience analysis for child-directed content or actual knowledge; deploy age gates, VPC tools, policies. Suits all commercial operators targeting U.S. kids; small businesses use low-cost generators, enterprises audit third-parties. Ongoing monitoring required.
U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules Details
What It Is
U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules (Release No. 33-11216) is a federal regulation mandating standardized disclosures for public companies. It requires timely reporting of material cybersecurity incidents and annual descriptions of risk management, strategy, and governance. The approach is materiality-based, aligned with securities law principles like TSC Industries v. Northway.
Key Components
- **Incident disclosureForm 8-K Item 1.05 within four business days of materiality determination.
- **Annual disclosuresRegulation S-K Item 106 covering processes, board oversight, and management roles.
- Inline XBRL tagging for structured data.
- Applies to all Exchange Act registrants, including FPIs via Forms 6-K and 20-F. No fixed controls; focuses on processes and governance.
Why Organizations Use It
Enhances investor protection via timely, comparable information. Meets legal obligations for public filers, reduces information asymmetry, improves capital market efficiency. Builds stakeholder trust, mitigates enforcement risks like fines from cases such as Yahoo or Ashford.
Implementation Overview
Cross-functional gap analysis, materiality playbooks, incident response integration, board reporting. Phased compliance: incidents from Dec 2023, annual from FYE Dec 2023. Targets U.S. public companies; involves DCP enhancements, no external certification but SEC enforcement scrutiny.
Key Differences
| Aspect | COPPA | U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Children's online personal data collection and consent | Public company cyber incident disclosure and governance |
| Industry | Commercial websites, apps targeting children under 13 | All SEC registrants, public companies nationwide |
| Nature | Mandatory FTC privacy regulation with parental consent | Mandatory SEC disclosure rules for investors |
| Testing | Verifiable parental consent mechanisms and data security | Materiality assessments and disclosure controls testing |
| Penalties | $43,792 per violation, FTC enforcement fines | Civil penalties, enforcement actions for misdisclosure |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about COPPA and U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules
COPPA FAQ
U.S. SEC Cybersecurity Rules FAQ
You Might also be Interested in These Articles...
DORA Third-Party Risk Management: A Consultant’s Guide to Mapping Critical ICT Service Providers in 2026
Navigate DORA's complex third-party risk pillar. Step-by-step consultant guide to identify critical ICT providers, remediate Article 30 contracts, and build the
CIS Controls v8.1 IG1 Ransomware-Resilience Sprint: A 30-60-90 Day Action Plan (With Evidence Checklist)
Tactical CIS Controls v8.1 IG1 playbook for ransomware resilience. 30-60-90 day sprint with tool-agnostic tasks, ownership & evidence checklists to prove progre
CIS Controls v8.1, Operationalized: Top 10 Reasons Compliance Monitoring Software Accelerates Real-World Implementation
Operationalize CIS Controls v8.1 with compliance monitoring software. Turn checklists into dashboards, tickets, and audit-proof workflows. Top 10 reasons it acc
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.
Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages
SAMA CSF vs ISO 27701
Compare SAMA CSF vs ISO 27701: Saudi financial cyber framework meets global privacy ISMS extension. Key diffs, mappings, maturity & compliance roadmap. Boost resilience now!
CSL (Cyber Security Law of China) vs J-SOX
Compare CSL vs J-SOX: China's data localization & CII security vs Japan's ICFR rigor. Master compliance risks, strategies & pitfalls for MNC success now!
J-SOX vs EU AI Act
Explore J-SOX vs EU AI Act: Japan's flexible ICFR regime meets Europe's strict AI rules. Uncover key differences, compliance strategies & global governance tips. Master it now!