diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/serializers.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/serializers.py
index a23ba772986e..3c5aafa14c54 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/serializers.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/serializers.py
@@ -591,8 +591,19 @@ def get_extended_profile(user_profile):
 def get_profile_visibility(user_profile, user, configuration):
     """
     Returns the visibility level for the specified user profile.
-    """
-    if user_profile.requires_parental_consent():
+
+    When ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE is True, the platform deliberately does not
+    collect year_of_birth for any learner, so ``year_of_birth is None`` no
+    longer signals "unknown age, assume minor". In that mode, pass
+    ``default_requires_consent=False`` so that users whose year_of_birth is
+    None solely because the platform refused to collect it fall through to
+    their explicit account_privacy preference. When COPPA mode is off, the
+    historical conservative default (None => treat as minor) is preserved.
+    Learners with a real year_of_birth below PARENTAL_CONSENT_AGE_LIMIT are
+    still forced to PRIVATE regardless of the flag. See issue #37987.
+    """
+    default_requires_consent = not getattr(settings, 'ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE', False)
+    if user_profile.requires_parental_consent(default_requires_consent=default_requires_consent):
         return PRIVATE_VISIBILITY
 
     # Calling UserPreference directly because the requesting user may be different from existing_user
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_serializers.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_serializers.py
index d77ef74c234d..b15cf4cedd5b 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_serializers.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_serializers.py
@@ -7,13 +7,25 @@
 
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.test.client import RequestFactory
+from django.test.utils import override_settings
+from django.utils.timezone import now
 from testfixtures import LogCapture
 
 from common.djangoapps.student.models import UserProfile
 from common.djangoapps.student.tests.factories import UserFactory
-from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.accounts.serializers import UserReadOnlySerializer
+from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.accounts import (
+    ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY,
+    PRIVATE_VISIBILITY,
+)
+from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.accounts.serializers import (
+    UserReadOnlySerializer,
+    get_profile_visibility,
+)
+from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.models import UserPreference
+from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.preferences.api import set_user_preference
 
 LOGGER_NAME = "openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.accounts.serializers"
+ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KEY = 'account_privacy'
 
 
 class UserReadOnlySerializerTest(TestCase):  # lint-amnesty, pylint: disable=missing-class-docstring
@@ -52,3 +64,88 @@ def test_user_no_profile(self):
 
         assert data['username'] == self.user.username
         assert data['name'] is None
+
+
+class GetProfileVisibilityCoppaTest(TestCase):
+    """
+    Regression tests for Bug #37987.
+
+    When ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE=True the platform scrubs year_of_birth for
+    every learner at registration. The 2015 ``requires_parental_consent()``
+    default treats a missing year_of_birth as "unknown age, assume minor"
+    and ``get_profile_visibility`` therefore forced ``PRIVATE_VISIBILITY``,
+    silently overriding the user's explicit ``account_privacy`` preference.
+    """
+
+    VISIBILITY_CONFIGURATION = {
+        'default_visibility': ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY,
+        'public_fields': ['account_privacy', 'profile_image', 'username'],
+    }
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.user = UserFactory.create()
+        self.profile = UserProfile.objects.get(user=self.user)
+        self.profile.year_of_birth = None
+        self.profile.save()
+
+    @override_settings(ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE=True)
+    def test_unit_coppa_mode_honors_all_users_preference(self):
+        """
+        Unit test for Bug #37987: when COPPA mode is on and year_of_birth
+        is None, the user's explicit all_users preference must be honored.
+        """
+        set_user_preference(self.user, ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KEY, ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY)
+        visibility = get_profile_visibility(self.profile, self.user, self.VISIBILITY_CONFIGURATION)
+        assert visibility == ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY
+
+    @override_settings(ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE=True)
+    def test_unit_coppa_mode_honors_private_preference(self):
+        """Under COPPA mode, explicit private preference still works."""
+        set_user_preference(self.user, ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KEY, PRIVATE_VISIBILITY)
+        visibility = get_profile_visibility(self.profile, self.user, self.VISIBILITY_CONFIGURATION)
+        assert visibility == PRIVATE_VISIBILITY
+
+    @override_settings(ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE=True)
+    def test_integration_coppa_mode_falls_back_to_configuration_default(self):
+        """
+        With no preference set under COPPA mode, fall back to the configured
+        default_visibility. Before the fix this returned PRIVATE_VISIBILITY.
+        """
+        UserPreference.objects.filter(user=self.user, key=ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KEY).delete()
+        visibility = get_profile_visibility(self.profile, self.user, self.VISIBILITY_CONFIGURATION)
+        assert visibility == ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY
+
+    @override_settings(ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE=False)
+    def test_non_coppa_mode_preserves_legacy_private_default(self):
+        """
+        When COPPA mode is off and year_of_birth is genuinely unknown, the
+        pre-2021 contract MUST be preserved: force PRIVATE_VISIBILITY even
+        if the user chose all_users.
+        """
+        set_user_preference(self.user, ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KEY, ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY)
+        visibility = get_profile_visibility(self.profile, self.user, self.VISIBILITY_CONFIGURATION)
+        assert visibility == PRIVATE_VISIBILITY
+
+    @override_settings(ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE=True, PARENTAL_CONSENT_AGE_LIMIT=13)
+    def test_bug_37987_regression_coppa_still_blocks_real_minor(self):
+        """
+        Regression for #37987: if a profile has a real year_of_birth that
+        puts the user under PARENTAL_CONSENT_AGE_LIMIT, visibility must
+        still be forced PRIVATE even under COPPA mode. The COPPA flag must
+        not become a backdoor to publish minor profiles.
+        """
+        self.profile.year_of_birth = now().year - 8
+        self.profile.save()
+        set_user_preference(self.user, ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KEY, ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY)
+        visibility = get_profile_visibility(self.profile, self.user, self.VISIBILITY_CONFIGURATION)
+        assert visibility == PRIVATE_VISIBILITY
+
+    @override_settings(ENABLE_COPPA_COMPLIANCE=True, PARENTAL_CONSENT_AGE_LIMIT=13)
+    def test_coppa_mode_allows_adult_with_real_year_of_birth(self):
+        """Adult with real year_of_birth is public under COPPA mode + all_users."""
+        self.profile.year_of_birth = now().year - 25
+        self.profile.save()
+        set_user_preference(self.user, ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KEY, ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY)
+        visibility = get_profile_visibility(self.profile, self.user, self.VISIBILITY_CONFIGURATION)
+        assert visibility == ALL_USERS_VISIBILITY