# Senate advances the latest Kids Online Safety Act out of committee

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/senate-advances-the-latest-kids-online-safety-act-out-of-committee/
- Published: 2026-08-05T20:11:29+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-05T20:33:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2231193/senate-advances-the-latest-kids-online-safety-act-out-of-committee/
- Topics: Americas, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Senate committee advances Kids Online Safety Act toward a floor vote
- Senate and House versions differ, notably over a "duty of care" clause
- Tech firms back the bill; NetChoice and ACLU warn of censorship, privacy risks

## Summary

The Senate Commerce Committee has voted to advance the latest version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), clearing the way for a full Senate floor vote. The House of Representatives already passed its own version of the bill in June as part of the broader Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, which combines KOSA with a children's privacy law known as COPPA 2.0, but differences between the two chambers' texts could again complicate the bill's path to becoming law, as happened when previous attempts stalled, including in 2024.

The Senate's version would require social media platforms to let children and teenagers opt out of addictive features such as algorithmic recommendations, and imposes a "duty of care" obliging platforms to mitigate harms like content promoting sexual exploitation or eating disorders — a provision absent from the House text. The bill has drawn support from firms including OpenAI, Apple, Microsoft, X and Snap, but is opposed by industry group NetChoice and civil liberties organisations such as Fight for the Future and the ACLU, who warn it could enable censorship, particularly against LGBTQ+ youth, and force invasive age-verification measures that put users' personal data at risk.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.