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Congress·In Committee·S. 1748

Senate Panel Eyes Kids Online Safety Act to Shield Minors From Addictive App Features

Kids Online Safety Act

10 months ago·View on Congress.gov
Part of: Congress Targets Social Media Safety with New Protections for Minors
⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

  • Internet platforms likely used by minors would have a new “duty of care” to avoid features that contribute to harms like compulsive use, severe harassment, sexual exploitation, or illegal-drug and gambling activity.

    From policy text

    “(3) Patterns of use that indicate compulsive usage. (4) Physical violence or online harassment activity that is so severe, pervasive, or objectively offensive that it impacts a major life activity of a minor. (5) Sexual exploitation and abuse of minors. (6) Distribution, sale, or use of narcotic drugs, tobacco products, cannabis products, gambling, or alcohol.”
    View in full text
  • For users the platform knows are under 17, platforms must offer easy safety controls: limit messages from others, lock down public access to a minor’s personal data, reduce “addictive” features by default, and let minors opt out of personalized recommendations.

    From policy text

    “A covered platform shall provide a user or visitor that the covered platform knows is a minor with readily accessible and easy-to-use safeguards to, as applicable-- (A) limit the ability of other users or visitors to communicate with the minor; (B) prevent other users or visitors, whether registered or not, from viewing the minor's personal data collected by or shared on the covered platform, in particular restricting public access to personal data;”
    View in full text
  • Parents would get built-in tools (on by default for kids under 13) to view or change settings, restrict purchases, and see and limit total time spent. Platforms also must add a simple way to report harms and respond within set timelines.

    From policy text

    “(A) the ability to manage a minor's privacy and account settings, including the safeguards and options established under subsection (a), in a manner that allows parents to-- (i) view the privacy and account settings; and (ii) in the case of a user that the platform knows is a child, change and control the privacy and account settings; (B) the ability to restrict purchases and financial transactions by the minor, where applicable; and (C) the ability to view metrics of total time spent”
    View in full text
  • Large platforms would have to publish yearly, third-party-audited reports about how many minors use them, how long minors spend there, how reports are handled, and how recommendations and data use affect minors—while sharing data in a de-identified, aggregated way.
  • Platforms that use algorithm-based feeds would have to let users switch to an “unpersonalized” option and explain what the feed is optimizing; they also can’t charge more or restrict service for choosing the unpersonalized feed.
Consumer ProtectionData PrivacyTechnologyArtificial Intelligence

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(3)
Mental Health
Neutral
Disability Benefits
Neutral
Chronic Illness
Neutral
Positive Impacts(1)
Child Tax Credit
Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
May 14, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2929-2930)

May 14, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

1 year after the law is enacted

Platforms must follow the “filter bubble transparency” rule (switch to a less-tracked feed option + algorithm notices).

Users could choose a feed that relies less on hidden tracking/inferences, and see clearer info about how ranking works.

No later than 1 year after the law is enacted

Commerce Department, working with the FCC and FTC, must deliver an age-verification study report to Congress.

Congress and the public could see recommendations (and tradeoffs) for device-level age checks, including privacy and accessibility concerns.

18 months after the law is enacted

Most of the kids online safety requirements take effect for covered platforms (duty of care, safeguards, parental tools, reporting, ad limits, disclosures, and transparency duties where applicable).

Minors and parents should start seeing safer default settings, easier controls, and clearer notices—plus a way to report harms and get timely responses.

No later than 18 months after the law is enacted

The FTC issues guidance explaining how platforms and auditors should follow the rules (including what counts as risky design features and best practices).

Platforms may adjust products again to match the FTC’s examples, which could change app features parents and teens see.

No later than 18 months after the law is enacted

The FTC issues guidance on when a platform “should have known” a user is a minor based on the circumstances.

Platforms may change how they detect likely minors (without necessarily doing formal age checks), which could affect account settings and content recommendations.

Appointments due within 180 days after the law is enacted; meetings follow

Kids Online Safety Council members are appointed and the Council begins meeting.

Parents, youth reps, educators, platforms, game companies, and state enforcers begin shaping recommendations that could influence future rules or new laws.

1 year after the Council’s first meeting

Kids Online Safety Council submits an interim report to Congress.

Congress may use early findings to push additional changes on online safety (or oversight of platforms).

3 years after the Council’s first meeting; ends within 30 days after

Kids Online Safety Council submits a final report and then ends shortly after.

A final set of recommendations could drive new legislation or enforcement priorities, but the Council itself would shut down.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Kids Online Safety Act

Bill NumberS 1748
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2929-2930)

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(75)
D: 33R: 41I: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.