By Kashmira Konduparty
The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, just ahead of World Social Media Day, passed bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening online protections for children, setting up negotiations with the Senate over competing approaches to regulating social media and other digital platforms.
The House approved the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act in a 267-117 vote, with support from both Republicans and Democrats. The legislation would require online platforms to provide new safety features for minors, including tools to limit addictive platform designs, stronger privacy protections and measures to reduce children’s exposure to harmful content such as sexual exploitation.
The vote marks Congress’ latest effort to address growing concerns about the impact of social media on young users’ mental health and online safety. Lawmakers have faced mounting pressure from parents, educators and child safety advocates to establish federal standards governing how technology companies design and operate services used by minors.
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The House legislation, however, differs from a version already approved by the Senate. In 2024, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by 91-3 vote.
That measure would impose a broader legal “duty of care” on social media companies, requiring them to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harms to children. The House bill instead focuses on requiring platforms to offer specific safety tools and protections without adopting the same legal standard.
The differing approaches are expected to trigger negotiations between the two chambers before any final legislation can reach President Donald Trump’s desk. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz and Sen. Marsha Blackburn have been working with House lawmakers and the White House to craft a compromise that could also include additional online child protection measures.
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The House measure has drawn support from lawmakers who argue that federal action is needed to protect children from harmful online content, algorithm-driven addiction and predatory behavior. At the same time, some technology companies and digital rights advocates have raised concerns with existing state laws governing online platforms.
Congress has debated children’s online safety legislation for several years but has repeatedly failed to send a comprehensive bill to the president. The renewed push follows heightened scrutiny of major technology companies over the effects of social media on young people’s mental health and testimony from platform executives before congressional committees.
While the House vote represents significant bipartisan progress, lawmakers must still reconcile the differences between the House and Senate proposals before the legislation can become law. The outcome of those negotiations will determine the scope of new federal requirements for technology companies and the level of legal responsibility they bear for protecting young users online.