House lawmakers from both parties announced a new bipartisan agreement Monday aimed at strengthening protections for children online, reviving an effort that had appeared stalled after earlier negotiations over digital and social media regulations broke down.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, a Republican from Kentucky, and Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, said the proposal is the result of months of bipartisan work to address growing concerns about children’s safety in the digital age.
In a joint statement, the lawmakers said they found common ground on policies designed to improve the online environment for children and teenagers.
“Through empowering parents, establishing safety as a default, strengthening privacy for children and teens, increasing transparency around data brokers, and holding Big Tech accountable, the KIDS Act delivers the 21st century protections parents have demanded and our kids deserve,” the two lawmakers said.
The legislation, known as the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, or KIDS Act, combines provisions from multiple child-safety proposals. Included in the package are elements of the Kids Online Safety Act, commonly referred to as KOSA, along with portions of 13 other bills focused on protecting minors online.
Supporters of the legislation argue that it represents a significant attempt to address concerns about the influence of social media platforms and other digital services on children. The proposal seeks to increase parental involvement, enhance privacy protections, and require greater accountability from major technology companies.
The agreement is notable because it comes after previous efforts to advance online safety legislation became bogged down in partisan disagreements. By reaching a compromise, House lawmakers are hoping to build enough support to move the package forward.
However, the path ahead appears uncertain.
Even as House leaders celebrated the new agreement, key Senate figures involved in their own efforts to pass KOSA signaled that the House version may face steep opposition once it reaches the upper chamber.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and co-author of the Senate version of KOSA, sharply criticized the House package Monday.
“KOSA without a duty of care isn’t KOSA—it’s a blank check to Mark Zuckerberg to exploit children,” Blumenthal wrote on X. He further described the House proposal as “toothless” and predicted it would be “dead in the Senate.”
Blumenthal’s comments underscore the significant differences between the Senate’s approach and the House compromise. While both chambers have expressed interest in strengthening online protections for children, lawmakers have not agreed on the details of how those protections should be implemented.
At the same time, KOSA co-author Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, is engaged in separate negotiations with the White House regarding another package related to online safety and artificial intelligence.
According to a spokesperson cited earlier this month, Blackburn is leading discussions intended to finalize legislation that would federally preempt certain state-level AI regulations. In exchange, the package could include child-safety measures such as KOSA and the No Fakes Act, which is designed to protect artists from AI-generated impersonations.
The latest agreement follows an earlier version of the KIDS package that advanced out of committee in March by a 28-24 vote.
While the new bipartisan deal marks a rare point of cooperation in Washington, its future remains uncertain as lawmakers continue debating how best to protect children online while addressing concerns surrounding Big Tech’s growing influence.
Punchbowl News first reported the new agreement Monday morning.
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