On Wednesday, August 6th, 2026, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted on five bills focused on online safety and artificial intelligence. 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 measures, including IP address verification. The bill asserts 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) cautioned that such verification 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 received majority support in the committee but did not advance due to lack of quorum.

KOSA, under consideration since 2022, mandates that "covered online platforms" such as social media and video streaming services implement safeguards to protect users under 17. Free speech advocates have warned that KOSA could threaten online privacy and freedom.

Additionally, the committee advanced a bill requiring users under 18 to obtain parental consent before using chatbots, along with another bill 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. The bill also demands platforms verify users' ages and parental authorization before granting minors access. Gallego was reportedly inspired by France's ban on social media use for children under 15.

The bills reflect a bipartisan effort to enhance online safety for minors, though they raise significant concerns about internet freedom and privacy.

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