California expands child privacy laws, surpassing Brazil's approach

California has enacted a series of new laws that tighten online privacy protections for children. The measures broaden the age range covered, require parental consent for data collection, give minors the ability to delete posted content, and prohibit companies from selling children's data. These rules go beyond the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and are shaping how firms handle child data across the United States.

Brazil has also passed comprehensive child‑privacy legislation that overlaps with California’s policies and, in some aspects, goes even further. Experts note that while California leads domestic efforts, it still trails international standards. Challenges to the California framework include First Amendment concerns and opposition from the tech industry, which views strict privacy rules as an existential threat. “California, everything there is changing and changing fairly dramatically within the last just four years,” said Ed Howard, senior policy advocate.