The House of Representatives on Monday passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act.
The bill passed in a 267-117 vote, with 47 members not voting.
“We worked hard to reach a workable compromise,” House Energy and Commerce Chair Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) said, according to Axios.
“While no single bill will solve every challenge facing families online, this legislation represents a significant and long-overdue step forward in establishing meaningful safeguards,” he added.
“The package, taken from portions of 14 digital safety bills, was brought to the floor Monday under a fast-track process called suspension of the rules, which requires two-thirds majority support for passage,” The Hill reports.
“Big Tech has had a free pass for too long. Predatory design. Dangerous AI chatbots. Targeted ads at kids. My bipartisan KIDS Act protects kids online and reins in Big Tech,” Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said.
Watch below:
Big Tech has had a free pass for too long. Predatory design. Dangerous AI chatbots. Targeted ads at kids.
My bipartisan KIDS Act protects kids online and reins in Big Tech. pic.twitter.com/z6DksgCisf
— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) June 29, 2026
The Hill shared further:
It now heads to the Senate, where it will face an uphill battle over the House’s changes made to KOSA and other provisions. The bill includes provisions on age verification, AI chatbots, data protections and raising awareness about drug sales on social media.
Its passage comes just one week after House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) announced the KIDS package received new support from ranking member Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), months after negotiations first fell apart between the two parties.
The bipartisan deal notably still eliminated KOSA’s duty of care provision, which would have legally required platforms to “exercise reasonable care” to prevent harms to minors. Harms include eating disorders, suicide, substance use disorders and sexual exploitation.
Tech watchdog and parent advocate groups, along with KOSA Senate co-authors Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) argue the duty of care provision is the most important part of KOSA.
Blumenthal said last week that the House version of KOSA is “dead in the Senate,” though Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, told reporters last week he is open to negotiations with the lower chamber.
Critics of the legislation say it would mean “de facto age checks” for everyone online and eliminate privacy.
“The internet could change if the U.S. House passes the KIDS Act today to ‘protect children.’ Critics warn it could mean de facto age checks for everyone and weakened encrypted communications. The KIDS Act is a package of around a dozen bills that pairs a revised Kids Online Safety Act with new age-verification, AI chatbot, and messaging rules,” International Cyber Digest wrote.
“Digital rights group EFF warns the design would pressure platforms to age-check all users, not just minors, since liability can attach when a service ‘should have known’ a user’s age, and flags new rules touching encrypted and disappearing messages. Sponsors Brett Guthrie (R) and Frank Pallone (D) say it’s kids-safety protection and note KOSA’s text says age verification isn’t required,” it continued.
The internet could change if the U.S. House passes the KIDS Act today to “protect children.” Critics warn it could mean de facto age checks for everyone and weakened encrypted communications.
The KIDS Act is a package of around a dozen bills that pairs a revised Kids Online… pic.twitter.com/qt5TanNpG4
— International Cyber Digest (@IntCyberDigest) June 29, 2026
“PASSED: the KIDS Act requires age verification on obscene websites, sets nationwide standards enforced by the FTC, and empowers parents, while letting states pass even stronger child protections,” House Republicans stated.
PASSED: the KIDS Act requires age verification on obscene websites, sets nationwide standards enforced by the FTC, and empowers parents, while letting states pass even stronger child protections.
Thank you @RepGuthrie! pic.twitter.com/Y9ygMYz7Cc
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) June 29, 2026
“This is a dangerous anti-privacy bill (identity verification) that the House of Representatives might try to pass by voice vote this afternoon before many of us are even in town. Senators Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Ron Wyden voted against a similar bill in the Senate two years ago,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) commented.
This is a dangerous anti-privacy bill (identity verification) that the House of Representatives might try to pass by voice vote this afternoon before many of us are even in town. Senators Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Ron Wyden voted against a similar bill in the Senate two years ago. https://t.co/M0QrLvrApH
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 29, 2026
“Here’s the roll call of members of Congress who betrayed the Constitution and the American people by voting yes on the KIDS Act,” former Congressman Justin Amash said.
“The sickest part is that these people used ‘protecting kids’ as an excuse to further insert government between parents and their children—all while establishing a surveillance infrastructure to monitor and control Americans of all ages,” he continued.
Here’s the roll call of members of Congress who betrayed the Constitution and the American people by voting yes on the KIDS Act.
The sickest part is that these people used “protecting kids” as an excuse to further insert government between parents and their children—all while… pic.twitter.com/zW3QZghmSc
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) June 29, 2026
Axios has more:
The House package includes preemption language that critics say would make it more difficult to sue social media companies for design features.
If that language were law, it would have prevented landmark social media cases in California, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said during a call with reporters last week.
“Let me be clear. The Senate is not interested in having these cases preempted,” she said.
“Preemption should not be a part of it, period,” said KOSA co-sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).
“The preemption language in the KIDS Act is written with the explicit intent of ensuring that states have the authority to pass and enforce stronger state laws, including those with a duty of care,” House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said.
The Trump administration and the tech industry have pushed Congress to pass legislation that would override some state AI laws. Any serious preemption effort would need to include measures protecting kids online to have a chance of advancing.
KOSA co-sponsor Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has been working with the White House on a deal tying kids’ online safety measures to federal preemption of some state AI laws and has said any legislation needs to include duty of care language.
“Certainly we don’t need to tie it to bad AI policy,” Cantwell said.