Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) 2025

Requires online platforms to “prevent and mitigate the following harms to minors” –

• Eating disorders, substance use disorders, and suicidal behaviors.
• Depressive disorders and anxiety disorders when such conditions have objectively verifiable and clinically diagnosable symptoms and are related to compulsive usage.
• Patterns of use that indicate compulsive usage.
• Physical violence or online harassment activity that is so severe, pervasive, or objectively offensive that it impacts a major life activity of a minor.
• Sexual exploitation and abuse of minors.
• Distribution, sale, or use of narcotic drugs, tobacco products, cannabis products, gambling, or alcohol.
• Financial harms caused by unfair or deceptive acts or practices (as defined in section 5(a)(4) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(a)(4))).

While it does not explicitly require platforms to perform age verification, it does:

• Direct federal agencies to study device-level and OS-level age verification methods.
• Require platforms with over 10M monthly US users to release annual transparency reports.
• Prohibit platforms from advertising age-inappropriate products to minors.

Enforcement: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can bring actions alleging violations of unfair/deceptive practices and state attorneys general can bring civil actions for alleged violations.

This legislation has failed in two previous sessions of Congress. Read more about KOSA and why supporters of online free expression oppose it:

• The Kids Online Safety Act is harmful to safety and kids
• Kids Online Safety Act Could Do More Harm Than Good
• The Kids Online Safety Act Would Be Harmful to Kids
• The danger of making the internet safe for kids
• Kids Online Safety Act Remains a Threat to Minors and Free Speech