Last week, we saw that unlawfully collecting personal data from children under the age of 13 can land you penalties worth around $10 million. But the U.S. Federal Trade Commission isn’t alone in taking tangible steps to protect kids in digital space. EU, UK, India, and many other administrators across the globe are implementing sweeping bans, large-scale age-verification systems, and binding design codes to intensify kids privacy protection. Multiple high-impact bills, child data protection laws, and baseline standards for minor data handling are helping governments strengthen the legal frameworks for that would ensure a safe digital experience for kids. 

In this blog, we will look at these frameworks and attempt to understand what businesses can do to steer clear from compliance mistakes as avoidable as like “mislabelling the videos” to avoid endangerment of kids online.  

Child’s Play No More 

The chaotic sprawl of digital space often renders the most grounded adults struggling with its designs meant to overwhelm senses and manipulate impulses. Being a child in the middle of that storm with no fully developed risk awareness, no clear understanding of consent, and no instinct for what’s safe, ethical, or harmful is obviously a serious disadvantage. Regulators worldwide are taking actions that include heavy fines to sweeping design mandates in order to give the kids back their privacy and safety. Here are some of the notable developments in recent times. 

United States of America

In September alone, the FTC has slammed three different businesses, including a famous name in kids’ entertainment, a robot toy manufacturer, and an adult content conglomerate, with penalties and settlements against allegations of unlawful data collection, sensitive personal imagery, and CSAM (child sexual abuse material) detection. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was also reintroduced as COPPA 2.0 to expand protections to teens up to 16, with stronger parental consent requirements, and bans for targeted advertising for anyone under 16. 

In addition to these laws, a growing patchwork of state-level kids’ privacy laws is also reshaping compliance strategies for businesses operating in the U.S. 

• California – The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (CAADCA) comes into effect July 2025. It mandates privacy-by-default for minors, bans dark patterns, and requires Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for products likely to be accessed by children. 
• Utah – The Utah Social Media Regulation Act enforces strict parental consent requirements for anyone under 18 and imposes curfews on teen usage of platforms like TikTok and Instagram. 
• Texas – The Texas Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act prohibits platforms from collecting or selling minors’ data and requires age verification mechanisms. 
• Connecticut – The Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA) includes heightened protections for children under 18, limiting targeted advertising and requiring opt-in consent for processing sensitive data. 

European Union

Earlier this year the European Commission published detailed guidelines for protecting minors under the DSA, emphasizing necessary measures against grooming, harmful content, addictive designs, cyberbullying, and unethical marketing targeting children. The EU is also piloting an age verification app prototype in France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Greece, aimed at helping platforms meet DSA requirements for safe access controls. 

Australia

Last year, in a one-of-a-kind move, Australia passed a law banning children under 16 from using social media platforms. Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram, and Snapchat could be fined up to AUD 50 million (~USD 33 million) for failing to keep under-16s off their services. The country is also planning for additional regulations in the coming year, mandating robust age assurance measures like ID checks, biometric estimation, or credit-card checks for websites sharing adult or harmful content. 

India

The DPDP Act (2023) defines anyone under 18 as a “child,” requiring explicit parental consent before processing their data. It bans tracking, behavioral monitoring, and targeted advertising of minors. Draft rules further bolster compliance by introducing licensed Consent Managers and data localization requirements for child data. 

Canada

Canda also introduced a bill this year that would make it a criminal offense to allow individuals under 18 to access sexually explicit material unless there’s either age verification in place or the content has a legitimate educational, artistic, or scientific purpose. Another bill imposes a duty of care on social media companies to protect minors from harassment, sexual content, self-harm promotions, addictive behavior, and predatory marketing. 

Building a Safer Sandbox 

Kids’ data is uniquely sensitive and, justifiably, carries zero margin for error. Every app integration, advertising partnership, SDK, and content workflow can trigger regulatory exposure if it fails to distinguish between adults and minors. Lacking the age-assurance stacks, vendor due diligence, and privacy-by-design defaults is causing businesses to get in the crosshairs of the regulatory authorities. Here’s a list of dos and don’ts that businesses need to follow to avoid bad design risks, third-party vulnerabilities, and harmful content slips.  

Dos

✅ Adopt privacy-by-design defaults: For minors, set strictest settings by default: tracking off, location masked, ads disabled. 

✅ Implement robust age-assurance stacks: Test privacy-preserving verification methods and integrate reusable ID tokens where possible. 

✅ Re-map your data flows: Maintain real-time data inventories for every touchpoint where minors’ data might flow through vendors, SDKs, or SaaS platforms. 

✅ Upgrade parental consent flows: Use clear UX for guardians, store verifiable records, and track cross-border consent compliance. 

✅ Prepare a kids’ privacy compliance matrix: Map obligations across COPPA, KOSA, DPDP, DSA, and AADC to ensure consistency across regions. 

✅ Rethink monetization strategies: Stop relying on targeted ads for under-18s; explore contextual ads, subscriptions, or safe-by-default personalization. 

Don’ts

❌Don’t assume “general consent” = parental consent: Regulators require verifiable, traceable parental sign-offs. 

❌Don’t ignore SDKs and integrations: One insecure vendor can drag your brand into litigation. 

❌Don’t treat moderation as an afterthought: Harmful or exploitative content = direct regulatory risk. 

❌Don’t repurpose kids’ data for analytics, AI training, or marketing — even anonymized datasets are being scrutinized. 

❌Don’t assume U.S.-only compliance: Global businesses need a unified approach to handle overlapping laws across regions. 

Kids’ Privacy Compliance Can’t Wait 

Despite the geopolitical differences on privacy in general, there’s a global consensus on zero tolerance when it comes to kids in danger. Regulators worldwide are converging on a common goal: a safer digital space for children. For businesses, this is more than just avoiding fines. It’s about trust, reputation, and long-term survival. Parents, policymakers, and platforms are demanding more transparency, more accountability, and more built-in safeguards for minors. The digital space is evolving faster than ever, but one thing is clear: protecting children’s privacy is no longer optional. The cost of waiting isn’t just regulatory exposure; it’s eroded trust, reputational damage, and losing your place in a market that increasingly values safety.