H.R. 7757 — KIDS Act, as amended
Executive Summary
H.R. 7757, the KIDS Act, is a comprehensive legislative package aimed at overhauling online safety and privacy for minors. It consolidates several major tech regulation proposals—including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and COPPA 2.0—to mandate age verification on adult sites, require platforms to mitigate harms like exploitation and drug sales, and provide robust parental controls. Furthermore, it bans targeted advertising to users under 17, regulates AI chatbots, and establishes new data broker registration requirements. The bill represents a major push to hold tech companies accountable for the mental health and safety of children and teens online, shifting the status quo from industry self-regulation to strict federal mandates.
Arguments For
- Addresses overwhelming bipartisan constituent demand to protect children from online harms, including mental health crises, fentanyl distribution, and sexual exploitation.
- Forces tech companies to internalize the social costs of their addictive algorithms by mandating default safety settings and disabling features like infinite scroll for minors.
- Provides parents with actionable, standardized tools to monitor and control their children's digital footprint across various platforms and gaming networks.
Likely Supporters
Arguments Against
- Imposes massive compliance costs and technical burdens on platforms, potentially leading to over-censorship or the implementation of age-gating for all users to avoid liability.
- Privacy and civil liberties advocates argue that age verification mandates inherently require collecting more sensitive data (like government IDs), creating new security and privacy risks.
- Tech industry groups will argue the bill stifles innovation and violates First Amendment rights by dictating how content algorithms and personalized recommendations operate.
Likely Opponents
📋 Key Provisions
- Requires platforms with over one-third adult content to implement age verification technology to block minors.
- Mandates online platforms to provide default safeguards for minors, including disabling addictive design features (e.g., infinite scroll) and restricting direct messaging from unapproved contacts.
- Updates COPPA (COPPA 2.0) to extend privacy protections to teens under 17, banning targeted advertising and requiring easy data deletion mechanisms.
- Regulates AI chatbots by requiring them to disclose their non-human nature, provide crisis hotline resources, and advise users to take breaks after 3 hours of continuous use.
- Requires data brokers to register with the FTC, pay an annual fee of at least $22,500, and prohibits them from selling the personal data of known minors.
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Defines 'design feature' to include infinite scrolling, auto play, and rewards based on time spent.
"infinite scrolling or auto play"
Requires platforms to advise users to take a break from chatbots after 3 hours of continuous interaction.
"has lasted for 3"
Extends COPPA protections by defining a 'teen' as an individual aged 14 to under 18.
"attained the age of 14"
Sets a minimum annual registration fee of $22,500 for covered data brokers.
"fee of at least $22,500"