KOSA
Kids Online Safety Act
Would establish duty of care for platforms regarding minor safety. Passed full Senate 91-3 in July 2024; passed Senate Commerce Committee multiple times (2022, 2023). Not yet enacted.
Jurisdiction
United States
Enacted
Pending
Effective
TBD
Enforcement
TBD
S.1748, 119th Congress. Ordered reported by the Senate Commerce Committee by voice vote on August 5, 2026, as amended by the Blackburn substitute (as modified). Awaits Senate floor consideration; House companion path remains unresolved.
Congress.govWhy It Matters
Would be first US federal duty-of-care for platforms. 'Duty of care' framing mirrors UK approach but faces First Amendment concerns.
Recent Developments
The Senate Commerce Committee advanced KOSA by voice vote at its August 5, 2026 executive session, adopting the Blackburn substitute as modified — the first committee passage of the 119th Congress after two postponements of the broader kids-online-safety markup. The same session advanced three AI-specific bills (Youth AI Privacy Act S.4199, CHATBOT Act S.4407, Children's AI Toy Safety Act S.5171); the SCREEN Act (S.737) received majority support (15-13) but failed on a quorum technicality. Floor timing and House action remain unscheduled, with negotiations continuing over federal preemption.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Online platforms likely to be accessed by minors
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Duty of care for minors using covered platforms
- Requirements to prevent and mitigate specific harms
- Parental tools and controls
Compliance & Enforcement
Penalties
Penalties pending regulatory determination
View on map
United States
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
United States. (n.d.). Kids Online Safety Act.
Related Regulations
KIDS Act
Omnibus children's internet safety legislation incorporating the SAFE BOTs Act (AI chatbot safeguards) and AWARE Act (AI education resources). Requires AI chatbot operators to disclose AI status to minors, provide crisis hotline information, and implement break prompts.
CHATBOT Act (S.4407)
Federal bill requiring operators of public-facing AI chatbots to offer family accounts with parental controls for children, obtain verifiable parental consent before teens create accounts, and refrain from using known minors' personal data for targeted advertising.
Ofcom Children's Codes
Ofcom codes requiring user-to-user services and search services to protect children from harmful content including suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content. Explicitly covers AI chatbots that enable content sharing between users. Requires detection technology, content moderation, and recommender system controls.
UK OSA
One of the most comprehensive platform content moderation regimes globally. Creates specific duties around suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content for children with 'highly effective' age assurance requirements.
PA HB 2006
Would require operators of AI companions offered in Pennsylvania to run age assurance without demanding government identification, obtain verifiable parental consent before a minor can use a companion, display continuous and periodic non-human disclosures with mandated breaks, maintain published crisis protocols that refer users expressing suicidal ideation, self-harm, eating-disorder or harm-to-others intent to 988 and other crisis services, and prevent sexual content for minors. The Attorney General would enforce with civil penalties of up to $100,000 per day per violation.
CA SB 1119
Comprehensive companion chatbot children's safety framework establishing mandatory design features, default settings, prohibited conduct, parental controls, independent audit requirements, and a private right of action.
Last updated August 9, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.