Children and Screens Urges FTC to Prioritize Children’s Privacy and Safety

To ensure children are safe and their consumer rights are protected online, the FTC’s 2026-2030 strategic plan must:

• • Recognize children and families as key stakeholders. Ensure they are explicitly considered across all strategic goals and objectives, including enforcement, research, and education initiatives.
  • Enhance COPPA enforcement capacity. Increase full-time staff dedicated to children’s digital safety and integrate child-focused expertise throughout the agency.
  • Monitor deceptive marketing practices, paying particular attention to advertising and promotions that target or reach children when adult oversight may be limited.
  • Adopt outcome-based performance measures. Track progress through indicators such as the number of youth-related cases, design changes achieved, exposure prevented, and the time required to secure interim relief.
  • Expand public education efforts. Extend outreach beyond parents to include educators, healthcare professionals, and other adults who guide children’s online activities.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies. Continue examining new tools, particularly AI chatbots and digital companions, and develop proactive guidance to address risks before they escalate.
  • Align operational improvements with enforcement goals. Ensure efficiency initiatives strengthen, rather than replace, monitoring, auditing, and compliance systems that protect young users.

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