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Congress Tackles Online Harms for Kids
26 Nov
Summary
- House panel considers 19 bills for child online safety.
- Kids Online Safety Act omits duty of care in new draft.
- Other bills address app store age verification and privacy.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is advancing a significant package of 19 bills designed to bolster child safety online. This legislative push could lead to some of the most substantial internet regulations enacted in recent memory, though it is expected to spark debates surrounding online speech rights.
The subcommittee on commerce will review these bills, including a revised version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The updated House draft replaces the original 'duty of care' provision with requirements for platforms to maintain reasonable policies against specific harms like violence, exploitation, and financial deception. This version also expands coverage to nonprofit platforms.
Additional proposed legislation includes the App Store Accountability Act, mandating age verification, and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), which would ban targeted advertising to those under 17. The Reducing Exploitative Social Media Exposure for Teens (RESET) Act is also under consideration, proposing an age limit for social media accounts.
