Overview
- Senators approved COPPA 2.0 by unanimous consent, extending data protections to ages 13–16, banning targeted ads to minors, adding data‑minimization rules, and creating an option to delete collected data.
- House Energy and Commerce advanced the KIDS Act on a 28–24 party‑line vote, with sponsors highlighting provisions drawn from KOSA such as default safety settings, limits on compulsive design features, and restrictions on geolocation and stranger contact.
- Democrats objected that the House package dropped a duty‑of‑care standard, adopted an actual‑knowledge threshold, and includes preemption language they say would weaken enforcement and override state protections.
- The committee also approved the App Store Accountability Act to require age checks at the app‑store level and advanced Sammy’s Law to enable third‑party parental safety tools, both over significant Democratic opposition.
- Prospects in the House remain uncertain given Republicans’ slim margin and internal resistance, as leaders pursue separate COPPA 2.0 negotiations and industry groups and states press competing approaches.