The Promoting a Safe Internet for Minors Act amends the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) to create a nationwide public awareness and educational campaign focused on minor online safety. The FTC would lead the effort in partnership with other federal and state agencies, nonprofits, schools, industry, law enforcement, and medical professionals.
The bill replaces several preexisting sections (211–214 and 216) with new Section 211, plus new Sections 212 and 213, establishing the campaign, annual reporting, and standardized definitions. Notably, the campaign must be launched within 180 days of enactment, and an annual report detailing activities must be submitted for 10 years.
This legislative package aims to standardize and scale online-safety education, provide accessible information on best practices, and ensure ongoing accountability through periodic reporting. It defines key terms and broadens the scope of what constitutes online safety, encompassing cybercrime protection, age-appropriate content restrictions, parental controls, and mental health considerations.
The changes collectively create a federal framework intended to improve minors’ online experiences while defining responsibilities for partners and stakeholders across government and civil society.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill directs the FTC to run a nationwide Public Awareness and Educational Campaign to promote safe online activity for minors, identify best practices, and facilitate access to safety information. It also requires ongoing collaboration with other agencies, states, nonprofits, schools, and industry.
Who It Affects
Minors under 17 and their families, educators and schools, nonprofit safety organizations, industry partners, and federal, state, and local governments involved in public safety and education.
Why It Matters
It creates a centralized, federally coordinated platform for online-safety education and information sharing, and it embeds regular accountability through a 10-year reporting requirement to Congress.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The Promoting a Safe Internet for Minors Act reorganizes COPPA's safety-oriented provisions by replacing existing sections with a new, cohesive framework. The core mechanism is a federally led Public Awareness and Educational Campaign designed to promote safer internet use for minors.
The campaign must launch within 180 days of enactment and operate nationwide, leveraging partnerships with federal and state agencies, local governments, nonprofits, schools, industry, and other stakeholders to share best practices, run outreach efforts, and disseminate up-to-date safety information. In addition, the FTC is required to produce an annual report—continuing for 10 years—that describes activities carried out under the campaign to help Congress assess progress and gaps.
To support consistent interpretation, the bill also standardizes definitions for key terms, including what constitutes an agency, the Commission (FTC), what a minor is, what qualifies as a nonprofit, and what online safety entails. The definition of online safety explicitly covers reducing exposure to cybercrime and adult content, preventing compulsive online behavior and related health impacts, and enabling parents and guardians with effective controls and safeguards.
Finally, the bill alters COPPA's table of contents to reflect these changes, inserting the new Sec. 211 (Public Awareness and Educational Campaign), Sec. 212 (Annual Report), and Sec. 213 (Definitions).Taken together, the provisions establish a federal framework intended to normalize and scale online-safety education for youth, while ensuring ongoing oversight and a clear vocabulary for stakeholders across government, schools, nonprofits, and industry.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill creates Section 211, a nationwide Public Awareness and Educational Campaign on minor online safety led by the FTC.
Not later than 180 days after enactment, the FTC must launch the campaign in partnership with federal and state agencies, schools, nonprofits, industry, and other entities.
Section 212 requires an annual report (for 10 years) detailing activities carried out under the campaign to Congress.
Section 213 defines key terms (agency, Commission, minor, nonprofit, online safety, and State) to standardize scope and application.
The COPPA subtitle is restructured by replacing sections 211–214 and 216 with the new Sections 211–213 and updating the table of contents.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Public Awareness and Educational Campaign
Not later than 180 days after enactment, the FTC—working with other federal authorities, state and local governments, nonprofits, schools, industry, law enforcement, and medical professionals—must carry out a nationwide program to promote safe online use by minors. The campaign will identify best practices for educators, platforms, minors, and families; conduct a broad outreach effort; facilitate access to information on online safety; and coordinate publicly accessible education resources with participating partners.
Annual Report
Within one year of enactment and annually for 10 years thereafter, the FTC must submit to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce a report detailing the activities undertaken under Section 211. The report serves as a formal mechanism to document progress, partnerships, and impact over time.
Definitions
This section provides standardized definitions: 'Agency' as defined in 5 U.S.C. 551; 'Commission' meaning the Federal Trade Commission; 'Minor' meaning individuals under 17; and 'Nonprofit Organization' defined by 501(c)(3) tax status. It also defines 'Online Safety' to encompass protections against cybercrimes, access to harmful content, compulsive online behavior, and the use of parental controls, along with 'State' to cover U.S. states, D.C., territories, and federally recognized tribes.
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Explore Privacy in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Minors under 17 gain a safer online environment and better access to safety resources and guidance.
- Parents and guardians receive clearer information, tools, and best practices to supervise and protect minors online.
- Educators and schools obtain structured guidance and resources to integrate online-safety education into curricula and student support.
- Nonprofit organizations focused on youth safety gain a nationwide platform for outreach and collaboration with federal and state partners.
- State and local governments participate in coordinated outreach efforts, benefiting from standardized messaging and shared resources.
Who Bears the Cost
- The Federal Trade Commission bears the primary budgetary and staffing costs to implement the campaign and produce annual reports.
- Partner federal agencies, state and local governments, and participating institutions may incur coordination, outreach, and administrative costs.
- Educational institutions and nonprofit organizations may allocate resources to participate in the campaign and disseminate materials.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is balancing a broad, federally coordinated safety initiative with the practicalities and costs of multi-jurisdictional implementation, while ensuring that safety goals do not overstep privacy protections or create rigid mandates that stifle innovation or parental choice.
The bill creates a federally coordinated nationwide campaign that relies on cross-agency collaboration and widespread participation from schools, nonprofits, and industry. While this structure promises consistent messaging and broad reach, it places a substantial coordination burden on many actors and requires sustained funding for a decade, creating potential budgetary exposure for the FTC and partner entities.
The definitional scope of 'online safety' expands beyond basic privacy protections to include health-related concerns and parental controls, which may raise questions about the boundaries between safety education and platform obligations. Implementation will depend on interagency agreements, alignment with state and local education commitments, and the ability to measure outcomes across diverse jurisdictions.
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