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Lawmakers approve age verification rules for App Store safety
Set of child safety bills is moving to House floor after a lengthy session that left Democrats and Republicans at odds
A set of child protection laws is proceeding to the House floor after a lengthy session that saw disagreement between Democrats and Republicans.
On Thursday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce voted in favor of advancing the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act; Sammy’s Law; and the App Store Accountability Act, aiming to enforce age restrictions at app stores.
The KIDS Act, sponsored by Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY), includes several measures for child safety.
Among these is the latest House Republican update to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) without the “duty of care” element featured in the Senate's bipartisan version, which requires large tech platforms to reduce risks to minors.
Numerous Democrats resisted the law, stating it would hinder states from enhancing online protections for youth. KOSA has appeared in various forms over recent years but has persistently failed to pass.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) argued that the KIDS Act uses youth protection as an “excuse” to fulfill Big Tech lobbyist agendas.
“What these lobbyists desire is a national surveillance system that collects personal and private data from all Americans without offering real protective measures,” Ocasio-Cortez commented.
She also criticised Discord, which withdrew its age verification plans after users expressed significant concerns related to privacy and security, and its collaboration with third-party verification service, Persona.
Other provisions within the package mandate age verification for app store downloads, purchases, and access to adult content online.
Additionally, it restricts companies from designing platforms that “promote compulsive use” and includes a requirement for AI chatbot makers to notify minors they are chatting with AI rather than a human.
The KIDS Act was approved by the Committee with a roll call vote of 28 to 24.
The Committee similarly approved the App Store Accountability Act with a 26 to 23 vote, aiming to enforce age verification at app stores to prevent minors from accessing age-restricted content.
t also supported Sammy's Law, legislation obligating large social media networks to enable parents to oversee their children’s online interactions and settings using a third-party tool.