The U.S. Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would put restrictions on the ability for online companies to collect data from minors.
The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act was introduced by Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The bill would prohibit website operators and app developers from serving targeted ads to users 17 and under.
The law would still allow advertising based on the content of websites or apps to be displayed, but target ads based on minors’ data and internet browsing history would be illegal. The proposed legislation would also prohibit the collection of personalized data from those aged 13 to 16 without permission. Currently, federal regulations outlaw companies from collecting the personal data of users under 13 without parental consent.
In a statement, Sen. Markey called development “a major step forward for protecting children and teens online.”
“Kids, families, and parents have waited far too long for Congress to pass legislation and stop Big Tech’s relentless tracking and targeting of children and teens online,” Markey said.
A similar version of the bill had been proposed and was scheduled to be voted on in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. However, since the bill had already been passed in the Senate, that vote was tabled.
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