The Senate Commerce Committee recently unanimously approved the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would require platforms to protect children from dangerous materials online. In a new insight, Director of Technology and Innovation Policy Jeffrey Westling explains what the bill would do and raises concerns that its implementation may create more harm than good.

Key points:

• KOSA would create a “duty of care” for covered platforms, ranging from social media to streaming services and video games, to act in the best interest of minors.
• The bill would allow the Federal Trade Commission to seek significant fines for companies that fail to protect minors from harms experienced using those platforms.
• The bill would likely come with significant tradeoffs such as requiring minors to provide information to verify their age or making it more difficult for them to find information on challenges they may be facing, such as mental health or addiction.

Read the analysis