The U.S. House has passed a bipartisan bill package that would strengthen digital and online protections for children.
It’s being presented as the KIDS Act, formally HR 7757, and stands for Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act. In a nutshell, the bill aims to put in place some “safeguards for minors, parental tools, and teen messaging controls” and would “limit design features that encourage compulsive usage” on social media platforms.
Other aspects of the bill include age checks for adult content, which would require more than asking users whether they are under age 18. There would also be easier parental tools that would allow parents to view privacy and account settings, including teen messaging controls and the ability to restrict purchases and financial transactions.
The sponsors of the bill were Republican Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey.
“Parents should be able to trust that their children are safe online. The KIDS Act takes a focused, commonsense approach to strengthening protections for minors, while giving families more tools to help keep their children safe,” House Majority Leader Scalise (R-Louisiana) said in a statement. “I applaud Chairman Guthrie and the Energy and Commerce Committee for their leadership in advancing this important legislation. House Republicans will continue fighting for policies that put families first.”
Now that the KIDS Act has passed the U.S. House, it moves on to the U.S. Senate, where it would need to be considered before it could become law. If the Senate passes an amended version, the House would have to approve those changes before the bill could go to President Donald Trump.
“For years, Congress has worked to find 21st century solutions to the real dangers that children and teens face online, and the bipartisan KIDS Act offers a major remedy to these problems. This legislation represents an important step forward in Congress’ effort to protect children online and hold big tech accountable, while also empowering parents and protecting free speech,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in his own statement. “I commend Chairman Guthrie for working across the aisle to get this done, and we look forward to working with our Senate counterparts to ensure these essential protections for our children become law.”
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