House breakthrough on kids online safety faces long odds in Senate

The clock is ticking for Congress to pass kids online safety legislation before the end of the year, but clashing priorities between the Senate and House are complicating a path forward. 

In a rare breakthrough this week, lawmakers in the House reached a bipartisan deal on a package of kids safety bills, but it quickly met pushback from their Senate counterparts who are doubling down on their own versions, including one that could have the backing of the White House. 

Facing pressure for years from kids safety groups, lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills to regulate social media and AI chatbots, but long-standing disagreements have stopped nearly everything from passing in time. 

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) announced on Monday they reached a deal on a sprawling kids safety package, called the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act. 

The package, which initially did not have Democratic support, includes the landmark social media bill, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), along with portions of 13 other bills related to age verification, AI chatbots, data protections and raising awareness about drug sales on social media. 

The controversial bill aims to hold social media companies accountable for the alleged harm their platforms cause to minors. 

It notably differs from the Senate version by not including a “duty of care” provision, which would legally require platforms to “exercise reasonable care” to prevent harms to minors. These harms include suicide, substance use disorders, sexual exploitation and suicide. 

“A lot of folks are concerned because we’re close to the finish line, and so we’re getting to a point where this is the most real it’s been,” said Jon Schweppe, a senior adviser at Americans Principles Project, a conservative nonprofit group. 

“They are doing what they have to do with House politics,” added Schweppe, who was a senior adviser at the........

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