EPA
U.S. federal regulations for air, water, waste protection
COPPA
U.S. regulation protecting children under 13's online privacy.
Quick Verdict
EPA mandates environmental compliance for industries via pollution controls and monitoring, while COPPA requires verifiable parental consent for child data online. Companies adopt EPA to avoid massive fines and shutdowns; COPPA to prevent FTC penalties and protect young users.
EPA
U.S. EPA Standards (40 CFR Title 40)
Key Features
- Multi-layered standards with statutes, regulations, permits, monitoring
- Evidence-driven compliance via defensible sampling and reporting
- Hybrid technology-based and health-protective performance criteria
- Federal-state implementation creating national baselines and site-specific obligations
- Dynamic rulemaking tracked through Federal Register and Regulations.gov
COPPA
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Key Features
- Verifiable parental consent before collecting children's data
- Broad personal information definition including persistent IDs
- Applies to child-directed websites, apps, and IoT
- FTC enforcement with penalties up to $43,792 per violation
- Parental rights to access, review, and delete data
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
EPA Details
What It Is
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Standards, codified primarily in 40 CFR Title 40, are a family of legally binding federal regulations implementing major environmental statutes like the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). They establish enforceable requirements for emissions, discharges, and waste management across air, water, and land media. The core approach is **systems-basedcombining national baselines with site-specific permits, emphasizing risk management through technology- and health-based controls.
Key Components
- Numeric limits, thresholds, and performance criteria (e.g., NAAQS, effluent guidelines, RCRA Subparts AA/BB/CC).
- Permitting mechanisms (NPDES, Title V, RCRA TSDF permits).
- Monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting (DMRs, QA/QC, chain-of-custody).
- Enforcement pathways with civil/criminal penalties. Built on statutory authority; no formal certification but audited compliance via inspections.
Why Organizations Use It
Mandatory for regulated entities to avoid penalties, shutdowns, and liabilities. Drives risk reduction, operational efficiency, and ESG alignment. Enhances stakeholder trust through transparent data (ECHO, ICIS-NPDES) and prevents "race-to-the-bottom" via uniform baselines.
Implementation Overview
Phased: regulatory mapping, gap analysis, controls deployment, digital monitoring, training. Applies to industrial facilities nationwide; state-delegated with federal oversight. Ongoing audits and docket tracking required; high complexity due to multi-media integration.
COPPA Details
What It Is
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a U.S. federal regulation enacted in 1998, effective 2000, enforced by the FTC. It protects children under 13 from unauthorized online personal data collection by commercial websites, apps, services, and IoT directed to kids or knowingly collecting their data. Its consent-based approach empowers parents with control.
Key Components
- **Verifiable Parental Consent (VPC)11+ methods (e.g., credit card, video call).
- Broad personal information definition: names, geolocation, persistent IDs, audio/video.
- Privacy policies, data security, minimization, retention limits.
- Parental review, deletion, revocation rights. Compliance via safe harbors or self-regulation.
Why Organizations Use It
- Avoid FTC fines up to $43,792 per violation (e.g., YouTube $170M).
- Legal mandate for child-facing operators.
- Builds parental trust, reduces breach risks.
- Competitive edge in edtech, gaming, ads.
Implementation Overview
- Analyze audience for applicability (global if U.S.-targeted).
- Deploy age screens, VPC, policies, audits. Suits all sizes; FTC enforcement, no formal certification.
Key Differences
| Aspect | EPA | COPPA |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Environmental pollution control across air, water, waste | Online privacy protection for children under 13 |
| Industry | All industrial sectors, nationwide U.S. | Online services, apps targeting or knowing child users |
| Nature | Mandatory federal environmental regulations enforced by EPA | Mandatory FTC rule on child data collection/consent |
| Testing | Continuous monitoring, sampling, periodic inspections | Parental consent verification, data security audits |
| Penalties | Civil/criminal fines, injunctive relief, multimillion settlements | $43,792 per violation, FTC enforcement actions |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about EPA and COPPA
EPA FAQ
COPPA FAQ
You Might also be Interested in These Articles...
Top 10 SOC 2 Mistakes Startups Make (and Fixes with Automation)
Avoid top 10 SOC 2 mistakes like scope creep & evidence gaps. See fail/pass visuals, client quotes, Vanta/Drata automation fixes for bootstrapped startups. Quic
Your Compliance Command Center: How Modern Tools Orchestrate Cross-Departmental Adherence
Unlock your compliance command center with modern tools for real-time monitoring, automation & integrations across IT, HR, Legal & Finance. Slash non-compliance
CIS Controls v8.1 for Cloud & SaaS: A Practical Safeguard Playbook for AWS/Azure/GCP and Microsoft 365
Turn CIS Controls v8.1 into a cloud-first playbook for AWS, Azure, GCP & Microsoft 365. Get actionable IaaS/PaaS/SaaS safeguards, automation patterns, evidence
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
ISO 31000 vs ISO 55001
Discover ISO 31000 vs ISO 55001: Risk guidelines vs asset systems. Compare principles, frameworks & processes for resilient decisions. Boost value—explore now!
IEC 62443 vs REACH
Compare IEC 62443 vs REACH: Secure IACS with cybersecurity standards & navigate EU chemical regs. Boost compliance, cut risks & align OT safety. Discover key differences now!
Six Sigma vs NIST 800-171
Explore Six Sigma vs NIST 800-171: Data-driven quality vs CUI cybersecurity. Discover differences, synergies & strategies for compliance & excellence. Read now!