Congress is advancing a bill that claims to protect children online but would actually strip parents of control. The Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA) from Senators Cruz and Schatz would ban under-13s from social media, a rule that already exists on major platforms. Instead of empowering families, the bill would force tech companies to police accounts and override parental decisions.

The legislation ignores how most families actually use the internet. Studies show most under-13 social media use is open and parent-supervised, not secretive. KOSMA contains no exceptions for parental consent or educational use. Platforms would be legally required to terminate accounts if they detect child use, likely demanding intrusive ID verification. This shifts power from parents to corporate compliance teams and algorithms.

What happens next is a fight over digital parenting. The bill would concentrate authority with the very companies lawmakers distrust. Families could lose access to shared accounts for educational content or music. Instead of blanket bans, experts suggest tools that help parents supervise and filter content. The debate highlights a fundamental tension: who should control a child's online experience—their family or a tech platform?