Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Republicans are far from resolving sticking points with the Kids Online Safety Act as other legislation picks up momentum.
The big picture: The House Energy and Commerce Committee is targeting the end of March to hold a hearing on various measures to protect kids online, sources familiar told Axios.
- That could include KOSA, the TAKE IT DOWN Act, COPPA 2.0 and Sammy's Law, and the App Store Accountability Act.
Behind the scenes: KOSA is still being actively worked on, but sources described a rift between Freedom Caucus members who are opposed to KOSA's duty of care language and centrist Republicans who are in favor.
- The FTC and state AGs would be tasked with enforcing the duty of care provision to require platforms to exercise reasonable care in their design choices.
- The bill also lacks state preemption.
Catch up quick: House GOP leaders last year said they would pursue a new approach to protecting kids online.
State of play: Conservatives favor an approach that "empowers parents," a source familiar with Hill negotiations said.
- That could include parental consent to create a social media account, privacy controls to block adults from contacting their children, or an option to delete their child's information from websites.
- The App Store Accountability Act, which would require parental consent for users under 18 using app stores, is gaining momentum as state level laws are passed and some tech companies show support.
- The bill, which has not yet been reintroduced, would also require age verification to access app stores, link minors' devices to their guardians, and leave enforcement up to the FTC.
Zoom in: Utah last week became the first state to pass an age verification law that requires parental consent for app store downloads and puts the onus on Apple and Google.
- Meta, X, and Snap lauded the move and urged Congress to follow suit, saying in a joint statement that "parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child's age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way."
The other side: Apple has said age verification goes against its data minimization principle and would require handing over sensitive information, which isn't in the interest of user safety or privacy.
What we're watching: Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal are planning to reintroduce KOSA in the upper chamber.
- We're watching whether bills to give parents more control become the preferred approach and how quickly the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which appears on a glide path to passage, lands on President Trump's desk.
- And in the Senate, a Judiciary panel is holding a hearing Tuesday on the STOP CSAM Act to expand protections for child victims in federal court.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that KOSA's duty of care provision requires platforms to exercise reasonable care and leaves the enforcement to the FTC and state attorneys general (not private litigation).
