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Websites where more than one-third of the content is harmful sexual material for minors would have to introduce age verification measures to block underage users, while social media platforms, AI chatbot providers, and online gaming services would face a separate set of child safety obligations under the broader Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, which the US House of Representatives passed on Monday.
Rather than creating a single new regulatory framework, the legislation combines several standalone proposals covering children’s online safety, messaging, AI chatbots, online gaming, age verification, and youth profiling. However, for these platforms, age verification has not been mandated, but they are expected to apply the provisions to users they know to be minors.
Online safety requirements: Platforms whose primary purpose is to host user-generated content, use engagement-driven design features, and rely on users’ personal information for advertising or recommendations would have to establish policies and procedures to address harms including:
The legislation would also require platforms that know a user is a minor to provide safeguards enabling them to:
These protections would have to be enabled at the most protective setting by default for minors. Additionally, parents would receive tools allowing them to:
Platforms would also have to notify minors whenever parental controls are active. Beyond user controls, providers would need to establish reporting mechanisms for harms involving minors; respond to reports within 10 days, prohibit advertising of gambling, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and narcotics to minors, undergo annual independent audits, and publish public audit reports summarising their child safety measures. However, the bill clarifies that these provisions do not require platforms to implement age-gating or age verification for this subtitle.
Prohibition on ephemeral messaging: Platforms would be prohibited from offering ephemeral messaging features, i.e., messages that automatically disappear after being viewed or after a predetermined period, to users they know are minors. Manual deletion by users would remain permitted because it is not treated as ephemeral messaging under the bill.
Second, platforms could not offer direct messaging to children under 13. For teenagers aged 13-16, platforms offering direct messaging would have to provide parental controls that are easily accessible and enabled through verifiable parental consent. By default, parents would be able to:
Restrictions on profiling minors: Platforms are prohibited from conducting market or product-focused research on users or visitors they know are minors unless the research is
The subtitle is scheduled to take effect 90 days after enactment.
Framework for AI chatbot providers: The bill would prohibit chatbot providers from falsely telling minors that a chatbot is a licensed professional. It would also require chatbot providers to disclose:
All disclosures would have to use plain, age-appropriate language. Additionally, chatbot providers would have to establish policies requiring chatbots to:
The bill also clarifies that chatbot providers would not be required to block access to information intended to prevent or mitigate these harms.
Provisions for online gaming: Providers of interactive online games that allow players to communicate with one another would have to offer parental safeguards that
They would also need to provide controls allowing parents and minors to:
Finally, providers would have to notify minors whenever these safeguards are active and explain which settings have been applied.
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