HOLLOW BILL IMPEDES REAL PROTECTIONS FOR KIDS, CREATES PREEMPTION BACKDOOR

OPPOSED BY 100 BIPARTISAN KIDS ONLINE SAFETY CHAMPIONS

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) – U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – NAACP – Design It For Us – Common Sense Media – Consumer Federation of America – Demand Progress – Public Citizen – Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) – National Center on Sexual Exploitation 

“Nearly 100 groups focused on digital or kids safety are calling on House leaders to reject the latest version of a kids online safety package, dubbed the KIDS Act … Among the safety groups’ concerns is the House’s removal of the duty of care, which would have legally required platforms to ‘exercise reasonable care’ to prevent harms to minors. Harms include eating disorders, suicide, substance use disorders, and sexual exploitation.” – The Hill, Dozens of tech safety groups urge House to reject KIDS package, 6/26/26

CUTS KEY SAFETY PROTECTIONS

“It doesn’t pass the smell test for me or the litmus test. As a physician, the number one issue is anxiety, depression and suicide. It fails on that.” – Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) to Punchbowl News, 6/24/26

“The Senate’s version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) specifically includes that essential “duty of care,” but the current House package explicitly rejects this important provision. The bishops have warned that omitting this requirement weakens protections for children.” – U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Action Alert, 6/29/26

“This bill, as written, would actually make things worse because it creates the illusion of protecting children while weakening the very laws and legal pathways families rely on to hold technology companies accountable.” – ParentsRISE!, Survivor Parents’ Letter to Congress, 6/26/26

FAILS TO MEET MOMENT ON CHATBOTS

“The bill’s AI chatbots and companion chatbots provisions do not meaningfully protect against known harms. The bill only requires chatbot providers to maintain reasonable policies and practices addressing a narrow set of issues. Its treatment of addiction is especially indefensible.” – Bipartisan kids’ online safety advocates’ letter to Congress, 6/26/26

“The bill’s core provisions would likely not include any chatbots or similar AI products … Platforms like Instagram or Snap will likely argue that their chatbots are not their service’s primary purpose and thus avoid even limited requirements.” – The Tech Oversight Project, Review and Analysis of H.R. 7757, 6/27/26

CREATES BACKDOOR PREEMPTION OF STATE PROTECTIONS

“The House legislation could also stop the state cases that have been successful at holding social media platforms accountable. Many of these cases are being brought under state common law and the current preemption provisions in the bill could be read to wipe those out.” – U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation press release, 6/26/26