On Wednesday, August 6th, 2026, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee advanced several bipartisan bills focused on online and AI safety, including 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 block minors from accessing online pornography through stringent age verification measures. The bill states that "shielding minors from access to online pornographic content is a compelling government interest" and claims its provisions are the "least restrictive means for Congress" to achieve this goal. However, it requires companies to verify IP addresses in addition to simple age attestation, a step that the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warns would "force millions of adult internet users to give up their anonymity, privacy, and security before they access lawful speech." Despite privacy concerns, the SCREEN Act did not advance beyond the committee due to a lack of quorum.

KOSA, under consideration since 2022, mandates that "covered online platforms" such as social media sites and video streaming services implement tools and safeguards to protect users under 17. The committee also moved forward bills requiring parental consent for users under 18 to use chatbots and mandating AI companies to enforce critical privacy safeguards on chatbots.

Additionally, Representative Ruben Gallego (D–Ariz.) introduced the Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act. This legislation would require social media providers to obtain parental consent for children creating or maintaining accounts and to verify users' ages and parental authorization before granting 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 EFF highlighted that the bills impose 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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