Overview

• Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) in the Senate, joined by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
• The bill mandates tech platforms to mitigate harms to children, such as depression and eating disorders, and requires default privacy settings for minors' accounts.
• Revisions to the bill clarify that it does not censor content, limit free speech, or allow lawsuits from the FTC or state attorneys general over content or speech.
• Tech companies, including Apple and X (formerly Twitter), have endorsed the bill, while civil liberties groups like the ACLU have expressed concerns about potential impacts on marginalized communities.
• Despite overwhelming Senate support in 2024, the bill stalled in the House due to GOP leadership concerns; its reintroduction renews efforts to secure a House vote, though Speaker Mike Johnson has yet to schedule one.