Meta Platforms has proposed legal protections that would limit certain child-safety related lawsuits against online platforms as discussions continue around the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) in the United States, according to an exclusive Reuters report citing a source familiar with the matter and proposed legislative language.
The proposal comes as Meta faces thousands of lawsuits from young users and their families over alleged harms linked to social media products, including Instagram. The company and Google’s YouTube were recently ordered to pay a combined $6 million in damages after losing a trial involving claims related to youth harm.
According to the proposed language reviewed by Reuters, online companies would receive immunity from certain state-law claims connected to the safety or privacy of individuals under the age of 18. The provision is part of broader discussions surrounding KOSA, a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen protections for minors online.
Meta spokesperson Stephanie Otway said the proposed measure should not be viewed as blanket immunity and would not eliminate existing lawsuits. Instead, she said, it would establish uniform federal standards for youth online safety rather than relying on varying state-level regulations.
The proposal was reportedly offered as part of discussions in which Meta would drop its opposition to KOSA. The legislation, sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal, would require social media companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harms to minors, including risks associated with compulsive platform use.
A spokesperson for Senator Blackburn told Reuters that the senator had not seen the specific language and would not support such a provision.
Under KOSA, platforms would be expected to exercise greater care when deploying features such as infinite scrolling, activity notifications and appearance-altering filters. Supporters of the bill argue that these features can contribute to excessive use among younger users.
The legislation passed the Senate with strong bipartisan backing in 2024 but did not advance in the House of Representatives. It has since been reintroduced and remains under consideration as lawmakers continue broader discussions around online safety and artificial intelligence regulation.
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First Published on June 19, 2026, 13:12:21 IST
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