Oppose KOSA, the Kids Online Safety Act (UPDATED 3/6)

Updates

March 6, 2026: By a party line 28-24 vote, the House Energy & Commerce Committee passed a new 12-bill package, H.R. 7757, the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (the KIDS Act), that includes an updated version of KOSA. This new package contains preemption language that could limit state-level regulation, and it removed a “duty of care” provision that required tech companies make reasonable design efforts to minimize harm to minors. The KIDS Act now moves toward a full vote in the House.

Congress has again put forward legislation aimed at controlling what content children see online, known as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). During the previous congressional term in 2024, the bill passed the Senate but then failed in the House due to Republican leadership fears that it may be used to silence certain political views. While the bill’s sponsors claim that changes were made to the text to address the widespread concerns that KOSA would censor internet content and instigate lawsuits, the language of the bill is still dangerously vague and open to interpretation by the government.

KOSA requires online platforms to take steps to mitigate harm to children, but while lawmakers claim it would prevent kids from seeing inappropriate content online, KOSA would instead be weaponized by both the government and tech companies to police legal speech online. The law would be interpreted and enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which the Trump administration has stacked with partisan commissioners. Trump’s FTC has already launched political investigations into media organizations who cover Trump unfavorably and has signaled interest in helping conservative advocates block content about abortion rights, gender-affirming care, and more conservative priorities. Tech companies in turn would simply move to comply in advance and censor content themselves to avoid FTC action.

Using the guise of "protecting children" is a well-worn path for conservative lawmakers; KOSA would undoubtedly be abused by the Trump administration and other bad actors to silence speech. Demand your representatives oppose this bill.