Final answer:
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a federal regulation that protects consumer privacy, particularly for children, by allowing parents to control the collection of their children's information by websites.
Step-by-step explanation:
A federal regulation called the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) protects consumer privacy, especially concerning children. This act permits parents to control what information websites can collect about their children. Privacy protection is a significant concern, as both private businesses and government agencies handle personal cyber data.
The federal government has implemented laws like the Privacy Act of 1974 and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to safeguard individual information. While private companies offer privacy settings, government regulations like COPPA and HIPAA provide systemic protections against misuse or unauthorized disclosure of personal data.