Advanced out of committee; no floor vote
Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)
BadIn progressS.1748 (119th)
United States
United StatesReported by committeeHigh threat
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- Became Law
Would make platforms police content for minors, which in practice pushes them to age-verify every user.
Latest update
Reported by committee
This bill is still moving
This bill is still moving, so there's still time to push back.
Contact LawmakersWhat it does
The Senate's KOSA (S.1748) puts a duty of care on platforms to shield under-17s from content a federal regulator judges harmful, which critics say pressures sites to censor lawful speech to avoid lawsuits. The House version, now folded into the KIDS Act, cut the duty of care and put age verification for every user in its place.
Why it matters
Both versions do damage, just differently. The Senate one gives the government a lever over speech; the House one makes everyone prove their age to use a platform. The House answer to the censorship worry was to bolt on the ID checkpoint we fight hardest against.
Our take
The Senate authors call the House package dead on arrival, but the House version is the one to watch. It dropped the duty of care and added age verification for every user, trading a speech problem for an anonymity one. KOSA passed the Senate once already, so neither outcome is far-fetched.
Timeline
Reported by committee
LatestIntroduced
Referred to committee
Sponsor
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Cosponsors (76)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Thune (R-SD), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ)
Committee
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Previous versions
Passed the Senate 91-3; stalled in the House