Regulatory Freeze Could Potentially Affect Biden’s COPPA Rule
The regulatory freeze ordered by President Donald Trump could potentially affect the Biden’s administration’s pending rule on children’s privacy.
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The FTC on Jan. 16 announced its final rule under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (see 2501160068), but it hasn’t been published in the Federal Register. Trump on Monday ordered all executive departments and agencies to withdraw all unpublished rules “so that they can be reviewed and approved” by the administration.
Such regulatory freezes are commonly issued by new administrations. Trump’s regulatory freeze allows agencies, in consultation with OMB, to reopen the proceedings for public comment. Agencies can extend those deliberations beyond 60 days for rules “that raise substantial questions of fact.”
The FTC didn’t comment Wednesday. The offices for Commissioners Lina Khan, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya didn’t comment. Khan, FTC chair under Biden, said in a post Tuesday on X she’s planning to leave the commission by Jan. 31. Chairman Andrew Ferguson officially took office this week.