Law Reform: Lawmakers Want to Take the Algorithm Out of Your Child’s Feed
Lawmakers are coming after addictive tech product design, opaque algorithms, and weak safeguards to protect kids online, thanks to Bill SB1748 which is now gaining momentum.
The U.S. Senate is back at it again with the Kids Online Safety Act which has just been reintroduced. From making platforms curb addictive design features to giving parents real control and demanding transparency on how algorithms feed content to minors, this bill will have serious impact. What’s surprising? This is not the first attempt. A nearly identical bill failed in the House just months ago. Lawmakers are clearly not giving up, and neither should parents or users who care about online safety.
🇺🇸 Why Kids' Online Safety Is Back on the Agenda
The Kids Online Safety Act has returned to the spotlight in the United States Senate. The bill, known as SB 1748, was recently reintroduced after a previous version in the House of Representatives, HR 7891, failed to move forward before the 118th Congress adjourned. The reintroduction reflects a renewed sense of urgency to establish protections for children and teenagers who use digital platforms.
The key motivation is concern about the growing influence of social media and online platforms on young users. Lawmakers are increasingly alarmed by the design of apps that can lead to compulsive use, expose minors to harmful content, and allow interaction with strangers without proper safeguards.
The failure of HR 7891 did not slow momentum. Instead, it highlighted the political will to keep the issue alive. The new Senate bill builds on the earlier proposal by keeping many of the same themes while refining its approach.
According to the text of HR 7891, the legislation defined minors as individuals under the age of 17 and introduced a duty of care for “high impact online companies.” This duty required platforms to take reasonable measures to prevent harms such as anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, compulsive use, and exposure to inappropriate content. The bill also pushed for design changes, including limits on autoplay, reward systems, and algorithmic recommendations.