A Senate Commerce Committee panel advanced legislation aimed at protecting children online, including a "duty of care" provision that was omitted from a House-passed bill. The panel's approval sets up a potential clash with the House, which previously stalled similar measures.
The Senate panel's advancement of kids' safety rules, particularly the "duty of care" provision, creates a significant legislative hurdle for the House and highlights the ongoing debate over Big Tech's responsibility in protecting minors online.
A Senate panel has advanced legislation aimed at enhancing children's safety online, setting the stage for a potential conflict with the House of Representatives. The Senate Commerce Committee's panel approved several bills, including one that reintroduces a "duty of care" requirement for social media companies, a provision that was notably absent from a similar bill passed by the House. Senators have signaled that this "duty of care" is a critical component and a non-starter if omitted.
Senator Blackburn, a proponent of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), expressed that the strong bipartisan backing for the "duty of care" in the Senate's version should motivate the House to pass it. She stated, "The House has an opportunity and also a responsibility to finish the job." A nearly identical bill passed the Senate two years prior but failed in the House due to intense lobbying from Meta.
This time, Meta has indicated it would not oppose KOSA if it were linked with limited preemption of state AI laws and the App Store Accountability Act, which mandates age verification and parental consent for app downloads and purchases by minors. However, these companion bills were not considered by the Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
The SCREEN Act was the sole bill that did not advance, despite receiving support from 15 Republicans, as 13 Democrats voted against it. Senator Cantwell pointed out that the bill did not secure enough votes for advancement due to the insufficient number of senators present.
Other bills that received committee approval include the Youth AI Privacy Act, the CHATBOT Act, and the Children's Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026. The CHATBOT Act, which aims to provide parents with greater oversight of their children's interactions with chatbots, was lauded by parents who attribute the deaths of their children to the design choices of tech platforms. These parents have alleged that platforms provide content that glorifies suicide or lacks adequate safeguards against exploitation.
A group of six parents wrote to the committee, expressing gratitude for their support and stating, "Big Tech deliberately designed their products and platforms to addict, manipulate, exploit, and abuse children and teens, and families like ours have had our worlds forever altered." The hearing's focus was narrowed from an initial plan to consider additional AI bills due to an inability to reach a deal on legislation before the markup, according to Senator Cruz. He intends to hold a more comprehensive markup of AI measures in September.
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