Consent for the Collection, Use, and/or Disclosure of Children’s Personal Information

This white paper provides a clear, comparative exploration of how children’s personal data is regulated across leading U.S. and EU legal frameworks, with a particular focus on the fast‑growing education technology sector. The paper examines the key differences between obtaining consent under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the United States’ patchwork of laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

It explains how these laws define children’s privacy rights, the obligations placed on schools and service providers, and the challenges of securing meaningful parental consent in digital learning environments. The paper also outlines the operational realities of EdTech adoption, where student data is used at scale for instruction, analytics, and administrative purposes. By offering a structured comparison of U.S. and EU requirements, the white paper helps organizations understand compliance expectations, navigate conflicting standards, and design consent processes that prioritize transparency and child protection.