AiBotIn a move that marks a significant step forward in the regulatory landscape of online services in the United States, the House of Representatives has passed a revised version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This package of legislation consists of 14 distinct bills aimed at enhancing the safety and well-being of children online. The bill has now been sent to the Senate, where a final version will be crafted and debated.
The House version of KOSA has been a long time coming, with proponents and critics alike debating its contents for several years. The revised version passed by the House includes fewer regulations compared to a previous iteration, but still maintains significant provisions aimed at protecting young users.
Key highlights of the legislation include the introduction of age verification requirements for all websites, a stipulation that online services such as YouTube and Twitter be held to a higher standard of “duty of care” for user safety, and restrictions on platforms employing tactics like “infinite scrolling” as the default setting for apps like Instagram and TikTok.
Further provisions within the package pertain to the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots. As advanced Language Models (LLM’s) increase in popularity, lawmakers are seeking to prevent instances where such tools masquerade as licensed professionals or disclose sensitive information to users.
Despite the far-reaching implications of these regulations, the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act has garnered virtually no attention from high-profile GOP or Democrat influencers and commentators, sparking debate about the role of lawmakers in addressing pressing issues of tech regulation.