Kids Online Safety Act
Sponsored By: Senator Marsha Blackburn
Introduced
Summary
Protecting minors online is the core aim of the Kids Online Safety Act, which would make platforms that serve young users adopt a legal duty of care, add parental controls and safeguards, and force more transparency about recommendation algorithms. The bill targets design features that boost minor engagement and limits certain research on children to reduce mental-health and harassment risks.
Show full summary
- Families and minors: The bill would define a "child" as under 13 and a "minor" as under 17, require verifiable parental consent for known children, and give parents tools to control privacy, purchases, and autoplay for streaming.
- Platforms and products: Covered services would face limits on personalized design features, a ban on market research involving children under 13, and public reporting and independent audits of safeguards, including detailed de-identified data on minor usage for platforms with over 10 million monthly U.S. users.
- Regulators, schools, and tech oversight: The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the rules with state attorneys general able to act as well, a Kids Online Safety Council of 11 members would advise and report within 1 and 3 years, and a separate title would force notice and opt-outs for "opaque" algorithms and let users switch to input-transparent systems.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Platform transparency and audits
If enacted, very large platforms (over 10,000,000 U.S. monthly users) would publish yearly, de-identified reports based on independent audits. Reports must show counts of known U.S. minors, time they spend, top languages, report totals, and evaluations of safeguards. One year after enactment, platforms using opaque, user-data driven algorithms would have to give notice, explain key inputs, and let users switch to an input-transparent option without higher prices. The FTC would issue guidance to help platforms and auditors comply.
Stronger parental controls for kids
If enacted, platforms used or likely used by minors would have to treat children (under 13) and minors (under 17) differently. Platforms that know a user is a child would need to notify a parent and get verifiable parental consent. Default settings for known minors would be the most protective options and parents would get tools to limit time, purchases, and data sharing. Platforms would also have to stop dark-patterns, ban certain drug and gambling ads to known minors, and require clear notices in the same language used by families.
FTC and state enforcement
If enacted, the FTC could enforce these rules as unfair or deceptive practices under the FTC Act. State attorneys general could also sue for some violations but must notify the FTC and give it a chance to intervene. The bill also clarifies that platforms may still cooperate with law enforcement and respond to security incidents while following Title I.
Timing, study, and council deadlines
If enacted, most Title I rules would start 18 months after the law is passed. The Commerce Secretary must study device- or OS-level age verification and report in one year. A Kids Online Safety Council of 11 members would be appointed within 180 days, give an interim report in 1 year after its first meeting and a final report in 3 years, and then end.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Cosponsors
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Sponsored 5/14/2025
John Thune
SD • R
Sponsored 5/14/2025
Charles Schumer
NY • D
Sponsored 5/14/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
John Hickenlooper
CO • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Mark Kelly
AZ • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Maggie Hassan
NH • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Martin Heinrich
NM • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Brian Schatz
HI • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Roger Marshall
KS • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Mike Crapo
ID • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Ashley Moody
FL • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Steve Daines
MT • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Kevin Cramer
ND • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Cindy Hyde-Smith
MS • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
John Cornyn
TX • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Angela Alsobrooks
MD • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Pete Ricketts
NE • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Lisa Murkowski
AK • R
Sponsored 6/23/2025
Dan Sullivan
AK • R
Sponsored 6/23/2025
Chuck Grassley
IA • R
Sponsored 7/8/2025
Susan Collins
ME • R
Sponsored 7/16/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 7/16/2025
James Lankford
OK • R
Sponsored 7/16/2025
Todd Young
IN • R
Sponsored 7/16/2025
Joni Ernst
IA • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Jon Ossoff
GA • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Richard Durbin
IL • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Katie Britt
AL • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Gary Peters
MI • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Jeanne Shaheen
NH • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Sheldon Whitehouse
RI • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Jim Banks
IN • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Christopher Murphy
CT • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Thomas Tillis
NC • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
John Kennedy
LA • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
John Curtis
UT • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Roger Wicker
MS • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Rick Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Timothy Kaine
VA • D
Sponsored 9/18/2025
John Reed
RI • D
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Markwayne Mullin
OK • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Cynthia Lummis
WY • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Bill Cassidy
LA • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Lindsey Graham
SC • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Jerry Moran
KS • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
James Risch
ID • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
John Fetterman
PA • D
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Christopher Coons
DE • D
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Bill Hagerty
TN • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Angus King
ME • I
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Mazie Hirono
HI • D
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Bernie Moreno
OH • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Mark Warner
VA • D
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Josh Hawley
MO • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
John Hoeven
ND • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Tommy Tuberville
AL • R
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Catherine Cortez Masto
NV • D
Sponsored 10/9/2025
Tammy Duckworth
IL • D
Sponsored 10/16/2025
Jon Husted
OH • R
Sponsored 10/16/2025
Chris Van Hollen
MD • D
Sponsored 10/23/2025
Andy Kim
NJ • D
Sponsored 10/23/2025
Adam Schiff
CA • D
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Elissa Slotkin
MI • D
Sponsored 11/10/2025
Deb Fischer
NE • R
Sponsored 11/10/2025
Ruben Gallego
AZ • D
Sponsored 12/1/2025
Tom Cotton
AR • R
Sponsored 12/2/2025
Elizabeth Warren
MA • D
Sponsored 12/9/2025
Michael Bennet
CO • D
Sponsored 12/15/2025
John Boozman
AR • R
Sponsored 12/15/2025
Lisa Blunt Rochester
DE • D
Sponsored 1/8/2026
John Barrasso
WY • R
Sponsored 1/28/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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