On Wednesday, August 6th, 2026, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted on five bills aimed at enhancing online safety, particularly for minors. Among these were the Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

The SCREEN Act, introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R–Utah), seeks to require pornography websites to block minors through stringent age verification methods, including IP address verification, beyond simple age attestation like entering a birthdate. The bill argues that "shielding minors from access to online pornographic content is a compelling government interest" and claims its measures are the "least restrictive means for Congress" to achieve this goal. However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warned that such verification would "force millions of adult internet users to give up their anonymity, privacy, and security before they access lawful speech." Despite these concerns, the SCREEN Act received majority support but did not advance due to a lack of quorum.

KOSA, under consideration since 2022, mandates that "covered online platforms" such as social media and video streaming services implement tools and safeguards to protect users under 17. Additionally, the committee advanced bills requiring users under 18 to obtain parental consent before using chatbots and mandating AI companies to enforce critical privacy safeguards on chatbots.

Representative Ruben Gallego (D–Ariz.) introduced the Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act, which would require social media platforms to obtain parental consent for children creating or maintaining accounts and to verify users' ages and parental authorization before allowing minors access. Gallego cited France's ban on social media use for children under 15 as inspiration for the bill.

Free speech advocates have expressed concerns that these measures could threaten online privacy and freedom. The legislation imposes what courts have historically refused on First Amendment grounds: a duty to protect listeners from subjective, unknowable reactions to constitutionally protected speech.

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