U.S. House lawmakers have reached a bipartisan deal on legislation to protect children's online safety. Announced by Reps. Brett Guthrie and Frank Pallone, the agreement aims to hold 'Big Tech' accountable but notably omits a 'duty of care' provision. The deal follows years of federal inaction, which led over 20 states to pass their own laws, and comes as tech firms face thousands of lawsuits over platform harms.
House bipartisan agreement
- ▪House lawmakers have reached a bipartisan deal on a legislative package to strengthen online safety and privacy protections for children and teenagers
- ▪The agreement was announced on June 22, 2026, by House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie and ranking member Frank Pallone
- ▪The stated goal of the agreement is to "hold Big Tech accountable."
- ▪The legislative package is a new version of the KIDS Act (H.R. 7757), which includes the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)
- ▪House Speaker Mike Johnson supports the agreement, though it still needs to pass the Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump
- ▪The proposed legislation would require social media platforms to provide "safeguards and tools" for minors and parents
Duty of care provision
- ▪House Democrats have long demanded that a "duty of care" provision be included in any children's online safety legislation
- ▪The bipartisan agreement does not include a "duty of care" provision, which would require companies to design platforms with children's safety in mind
State-level legislation
- ▪At least 20 states enacted laws addressing social media use by children in 2025
- ▪The state-level laws were prompted by years of U.S. lawmakers failing to pass comprehensive federal legislation on social media regulation
Tech company lobbying
- ▪If Meta's proposed legal immunity provision became law, it could undermine thousands of lawsuits filed against tech companies
- ▪Meta Platforms, owner of Instagram, has lobbied the U.S. Congress for legal immunity from child-harm claims tied to its products
- ▪A Meta spokesperson stated the proposed immunity provision "does not extinguish existing lawsuits, nor does it represent blanket immunity."
Ongoing lawsuits
- ▪In early 2026, Meta and Google's YouTube lost the first case at trial in California, facing a combined $6 million in damages
- ▪Tech companies including Meta, Google's YouTube, TikTok, and Snap face thousands of lawsuits alleging their platforms are harmful to young people
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