potential for children to form addictive habits.
Additionally, the bill would require companies to conduct annual risk assessments to identify and address potential harms to children on their platforms. They would also be prohibited from using personal information to target children with ads for harmful products or services.
The bill has garnered support from a wide range of organizations, including parents’ groups, children’s advocacy organizations, and major tech companies. These supporters argue that KOSA is necessary to protect children from the dangers of online content and hold tech companies accountable for the harm their platforms can cause.
However, there are also concerns about the potential impact of KOSA. Opponents worry that the bill could infringe on the First Amendment rights of tech companies and limit children’s access to important information, such as LGBTQ issues and reproductive rights. Despite these concerns, the bill has been revised to address many of these issues, and major LGBTQ groups have come out in support of the legislation.
While there is bipartisan support for KOSA, its passage is not guaranteed. The bill is set to come up for a vote later this month, but it remains uncertain whether it will actually become law. If passed, KOSA would represent the first major legislation aimed at protecting children on the internet since 1998, and could have far-reaching implications for how tech companies operate and how children interact online.
