WASHINGTON—Following the House’s passage of the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from Policy Analyst Alex Ambrose:
The House took an important step toward improving online child safety but weakened that progress by bundling effective reforms with provisions that won't make kids safer and will make the Internet worse for everyone.
The bill wisely preserves many of KOSA's strongest provisions while omitting its vague duty of care, protecting children without creating an open-ended liability standard for online services.
However, the bill also includes several misguided provisions. Banning ephemeral messaging, prohibiting targeted advertising to minors, and imposing broad age verification requirements will reduce privacy, limit useful online services, and create unnecessary barriers without addressing the root causes of online harms.
As the Senate develops its own legislation, it should preserve the provisions that actually improve child safety while removing those that add burdens without delivering meaningful benefits.
Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, [email protected]
