Kids Online Safety Act - S.1409 and H.R.7891

Summary

The bill would “require social media platforms to provide minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt-out of algorithmic recommendations—and require platforms to enable the strongest settings by default.” It also would mandate that social media platforms create tools for parents to report harmful behaviors; establish a duty for social media platforms to assess, prevent, and mitigate harms to minors; and share datasets with academic researchers to research the impact of social media on minors.

A 2022 version of the bill was not brought for a floor vote. In February 2023, President Joe Biden promised to prioritize kids' online safety in his State of the Union speech ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, hosted by Chairman and KOSA co-sponsor Sen. Blumenthal, on prioritizing children’s online safety. In May, a revised version of KOSA was introduced, addressing concerns that the bill would do more harm than good to children.

Modifications include changes around age verification, covered ages, and an explicit list of harms that platforms must take reasonable steps to mitigate, including preventing access to posts promoting suicide, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

Updates

July 27, 2023. Advances through the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation by unanimous vote.

December 13, 2023. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders.

February 15, 2024. A new version of the bill is released, and the Washington Post reports that the bill has enough votes to pass the Senate.

April 9, 2024. A House companion (H.R.7891) bill is introduced.