The Senate Commerce Committee has voted to advance the latest version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), clearing a path for a Senate floor vote. This follows the House's passage of its own version of the bill in June as part of the larger KIDS Act, which also bundles COPPA 2.0. Disagreements over specific provisions have stalled KOSA in previous years.

The proposed law generally aims to mandate stronger child protections from online platforms. The Senate's current draft requires social media apps to offer opt-outs for addictive features like algorithmic recommendations and establishes a "duty of care" for platforms to mitigate harms from content promoting issues such as sexual exploitation and eating disorders. The House version omits this "duty of care" provision.

KOSA has garnered support from companies including OpenAI, Apple, and Microsoft, while facing opposition from industry groups like Net Choice and digital rights organizations such as the ACLU. Critics voice concerns that the bill could lead to censorship and privacy violations, with the ACLU specifically highlighting the risks of mandatory age verification measures leading to data insecurity.