US House passes the KIDS Act

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act 29 June, advancing a broad package of online child safety legislation that would establish new requirements for social media platforms, AI chatbots and parental controls.

Lawmakers approved the legislation in a bipartisan 267-117 vote, despite significant pushback from policymakers, advocacy groups and parents. The package combines 14 digital safety proposals, including a revised version of the Kids Online Safety Act.

House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., who introduced the KIDS Act alongside Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. said the legislation reflects bipartisan efforts to protect children online.

"The KIDS Act creates strong protections with new rules for design features, default settings, and kids' privacy," Guthrie and Pallone said in a statement. "We want to thank our colleagues for their strong vote today to protect kids, empower parents, and hold internet platforms accountable."

KIDS Act

The package would require online platforms to implement safeguards to protect underage users, including age verification obligations and restrictions on companies' use of targeted advertising. 

The legislation also includes provisions addressing AI chatbot interactions. It requires chatbots to remind users they are not real people and to share mental health resources. It also requires AI tools to remind users to take breaks and ensure conversations do not promote potentially harmful topics. 

Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., said the bill is a "meaningful step" in protecting underage users, noting the legislation "strengthens privacy protections for children and teens, bans targeted advertising to young people, gives families more control and preserves parents’ ability to seek justice in court. This is an important step, but it is not the end of our work. I will continue to press to create a safer digital environment for children and teens."

The bill includes elements from several proposed children's privacy legislation, including the Kids Online Safety Act, Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net, and Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitative Bots.

Notably, lawmakers excluded KOSA's "duty of care" provision after it raised censorship concerns. 

Reactions

Despite the House's passage of the KIDS Act, digital rights organizations and some lawmakers argue the bill weakens KOSA's protections and does not do enough to hold technology companies accountable.

Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., previously urged the House not to pass the legislation, highlighting concerns the bill does not have "strong standards to make sure platforms are accountable if they don't redesign addictive algorithms or harmful features."

Cantwell and Blumenthal also argued the bill could have implications for state privacy laws and affect ongoing lawsuits against technology companies.

"These types of cases are so far the only ones successfully holding the platforms accountable for designing dangerous products," Cantwell said. "Maybe that is why someone has come to the House of Representatives to sneak language in that would get these cases tossed out."

Blumenthal also released a statement with KOSA co-author Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., criticizing the House's decision to remove the "duty of care provision," noting they "will not back down from the fight to pass the stronger, more widely supported version of the Kids Online Safety Act, and we will not greenlight hollow reforms that allow Big Tech's predatory business model to remain intact."

Blackburn is currently working with the White House to produce an AI package that aims to bolster children's online safety, though the proposal has raised concerns that it could impact states' AI bills. 

The Electronic Frontier Foundation also raised concerns that the KIDS Act's obligations could require all social media users to submit personal information to verify their age, establish content restrictions and affect users' private conversations on platforms.

EFF Senior Policy Analyst Joe Mullin said while the bill aims to bolster protections for underage users, "its requirements come at the expense of privacy, free expression, and the ability of people of all ages to use the internet without revealing sensitive data.”

Supporters of the legislation have disputed those concerns, maintaining the bill does not explicitly require age verification and instead establishes safeguards to protect underage users while providing parents with additional controls.

"While no single bill will solve every challenge facing families online, this legislation represents a significant and long-overdue step forward in establishing meaningful safeguards," said Guthrie. "It is an important milestone — not a finish line — in the effort to better protect children online and hold bad actors accountable."

The KIDS Act will now move on to the Senate, where it is expected to face additional challenges.