The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has pushed forward a series of child safety bills, including the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, Sammy’s Law, and the App Store Accountability Act. The latter requires app stores to implement age-gating measures to enhance online safety for young users. The KIDS Act, spearheaded by Congressman Brett Guthrie, consolidates various child safety laws, omitting the ‘duty of care’ provision present in the Senate’s version, which mandates tech giants to address risks to minors. Despite bipartisan efforts, some Democrats have voiced concerns, fearing that the legislation could impede states from fortifying online safeguards for children.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the bill, alleging that it serves the interests of Big Tech lobbyists rather than genuine child protection. She highlighted Discord’s retreat from age verification plans due to user backlash over privacy and security worries, questioning the platform’s alignment with third-party verification services like Persona.
Source: The Verge