On December 2, 2025, the U.S. House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade subcommittee held a hearing to discuss almost 20 bills seeking to address the harm social media poses to children and teens.Although various pieces of legislation on updated federal protections for children and teens online have been pending for years, two bills came to the forefront. They are COPPA 2.0, an update to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, and the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA.
COPPA 2.0 would prohibit companies from collecting personal information from users who are 16 years or younger, ban targeted advertising to children and teens, and create data minimization rules that would prohibit excessive collection of minors’ personal data. KOSA would prohibit “children from being exposed to or targeted with ads for illegal or inappropriate content like drugs and alcohol, addresses addictive design features that keep kids hooked and can harm their mental health, and aims to hold “Big Tech” accountable with mandatory audits and strong enforcement by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and state attorneys general.
Versions of both COPPA 2.0 and KOSA were approved by the full Senate in 2024.
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