The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) remains focused on children’s privacy and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). On Jan. 28, 2026, the FTC held an Age Verification Workshop, previewing potential amendments to the COPPA Rule and emphasizing the need for reliable, privacy-protective age-verification technologies. On Feb. 25, 2026, the FTC issued a COPPA Policy Statement promoting the adoption of such technologies.
“Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a press release announcing the COPPA Policy Statement. “Our statement incentivizes operators to use these innovative tools, empowering parents to protect their children online.”