The **KIDS Act** secured a 267-117 vote in the House, achieving the two-thirds majority required for its expedited passage. Despite this show of support, the legislation is encountering substantial resistance, particularly from senators championing a more robust alternative. Critiques center on the **KIDS Act**'s omission of a “duty of care” provision, which would mandate that tech companies prioritize children's safety in their platform design. This crucial element is a cornerstone of the competing **Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)**, supported by a significant majority in the Senate. ### Senate Rejection and Advocate Concerns Senators **Richard Blumenthal** (D-CT) and **Marsha Blackburn** (R-TN), co-authors of **KOSA**, strongly condemned the House bill. In a joint statement, they asserted that the **KIDS Act** is a “pale imitation of Big Tech accountability,” arguing that stripping the duty of care provision perpetuates a status quo where “Big Tech uses our kids as profit centers.” The senators have pledged to block the **KIDS Act**, vowing not to “greenlight hollow reforms.” Beyond legislative opposition, digital freedom and civil liberties advocates have voiced significant concerns. They specifically highlight the bill's age verification requirement for accessing adult content as a potential threat to the privacy of all internet users. ### Key Provisions and Pockets of Support Despite the criticisms, the **KIDS Act** does introduce several notable changes. It mandates that AI chatbots disclose their non-human nature, requires age verification for pornographic content, and imposes new requirements on data brokers handling children’s information. Furthermore, a compromise version of the bill allows states to enact more restrictive online safety laws without federal preemption, a point of contention between Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Some advocacy groups, like **ParentsSOS**, a collective of families impacted by online harms, expressed mixed reactions. While disappointed by the absence of a duty of care, **ParentsSOS** acknowledged positive elements, including safeguards against features promoting addiction, restrictions on geolocation sharing and outreach from unknown adults, and bans on targeted advertising to minors. The bill also includes a “knowledge standard” to prevent tech companies from claiming ignorance about preteens on their platforms. Certain Democrats, including Representatives **Lori Trahan** (D-MA) and **Sam Liccardo** (D-CA), supported the bill, urging the Senate to pass the legislation even in its imperfect state. **Liccardo** emphasized the need for action after decades of congressional inaction, stating, “We can continue to persist in making the perfect the enemy of the good, or we can seize this moment to pass common-sense, bipartisan protections.”