On June 29, the US House passed the bipartisan Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS) package with new protections for minors, while receiving criticism from privacy advocates, free-speech groups, senators, and state attorneys general over weakened safeguards, according to Axios.
The Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act passed in a 267-117 vote, marking a major step in Congress’ push to regulate how social platforms treat minors online.
Supporters say the legislation would add safety features, parental controls, restrictions on targeted advertising using minors’ data, age verification for pornography websites, and new rules for AI chatbots and online games, in internet safety for kids.
“This is a major step toward a safer online world for kids, making safety the default, giving parents more tools to protect their children and teens, and holding Big Tech accountable,” the House Energy and Commerce Committee said in a social media post.
The House package, however, is narrower than the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which previously passed the Senate.
Lawmakers removed several provisions from the Senate-backed version, including a controversial “duty of care” internet safety for kids and its requirement that would have forced online platforms to take more responsibility for preventing harms to minors.
Fears from Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act
For critics, the age-verification measures in the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act could affect all internet users, not just children.
Privacy advocates warn that platforms may respond by requiring stricter identity checks, including government-issued identification or biometric age estimation, raising concerns about anonymous speech and user data protection.
According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the package creates legal uncertainty for platforms and could push companies to apply restrictive age checks across their services. Such measures, critics argue, could discourage users from discussing sensitive issues online or accessing information anonymously.
Technology trade group, NetChoice, also criticized the House bill and the Senate’s KIDS online safety act proposal, warning that both could undermine online privacy and free expression.
“All of these bills degrade privacy and security, materially diminish the First Amendment protections that young people and adults have a full right to as Americans, and bring the United States more in line with a global effort to undermine the free and open internet,” Zach Lilly, NetChoice’s director of government affairs, wrote on X.
The child online safety bill is now expected to face more scrutiny in the Senate, where some lawmakers have criticized the House package for removing key provisions.
Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the House version had weakened protections needed to keep children and families safe online.
Resistance from State Attorneys General
The House vote also drew opposition from a bipartisan coalition of 44 state attorneys general, including North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson. The coalition urged Congress to reject the KIDS Act, arguing that it would override stronger state-level child protection laws while replacing them with weaker federal standards.
Jackson said the bill could wipe out North Carolina’s existing tech accountability measures, including laws and legal actions targeting alleged harm caused by major platforms.
The attorneys general raised concerns that the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act states platforms have no legal duty to protect children and remove certain age-verification requirements.
They also warned that the KIDS internet digital safety act could limit state authority over social media, online gaming, and AI chatbots while creating loopholes for chatbot features considered secondary to a platform’s main service.
Jackson’s office has ongoing lawsuits against Meta and TikTok over alleged harms to minors. He has also called for stronger internet safety rules for kids against predatory AI products and deepfake imagery.
Despite bipartisan support in the House, the KIDS Act still faces an uncertain path, as lawmakers must now balance demands for stronger child safety protections with concerns over privacy, free speech, state authority, and the future of internet regulation.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Tech sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.
