New York Attorney General Letitia James and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong have joined with 43 other attorneys general from Republican as well as Democratic jurisdictions urging Congress to reject the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act). They argue that the bill would weaken states’ ability to protect children online and shield big tech companies from accountability.
In a letter to Congressional leadership, the coalition warns that the KIDS Act would prevent states from addressing online threats to minors, including from social media, social gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots. The coalition is calling on Congress to reject the KIDS Act and instead pass the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
They say that the KIDS Act would preempt existing and future state laws that address critical safety measures. They say that if the sweeping federal preemption was to be enacted it would severely restrict states’ abilities to pass new laws to protect children online and limit the power of attorneys general to enforce state laws. They say that the Senate bill includes a key provision requiring online platforms to act in the best interests of minors while preserving states’ authority to enforce stronger protections for children and teens.
“Online platforms are fueling a mental health crisis among young people, and New York has led the way to enact new measures to protect our kids,” James said. “The KIDS Act would strip states of their ability to protect our children online. I am proud to join a bipartisan coalition of my fellow attorneys general in sending a clear message to Congress: the KIDS Act should not become law.”
Tong said, “The KIDS Act is a cynical gift to Big Tech, eviscerating state protections to insulate industry from accountability under a thinly disguised veil of progress. With overwhelming bipartisan support, Connecticut just passed strong state legislation to limit youth exposure to dangerously addictive algorithms and to give parents important tools to fight social media addiction. If Congress cannot step up and do right by our families, they need to back off and let states lead.”
New York state in 2024 adopted The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation For Kids Act. It requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. In addition, the New York Child Data Protection Act prohibits online sites from collecting, using, sharing, or selling the personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website.
Joining James and Tong in the coalition were the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
