US House of Representatives passes legislation on online safety for young people

The US House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation that would require online platforms to provide certain protections for children, setting up a possible clash with the Senate, where lawmakers support stricter standards.

Reuters reported that Congress has shown growing interest in preventing harm to young people online, as social media companies have faced strong backlash. The House of Representatives passed the Children and Digital Safety on the Internet Act by 267 votes to 117, with support from both Democrats and Republicans.

The legislation would require companies to provide ways for children to limit addictive features and to put in place policies to protect them from certain harms, including sexual exploitation.

According to foreign media, the bill is the House of Representatives’ first effort to regulate children’s online safety since the Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act by 91 votes to 3 in 2024.

The Senate bill would impose a duty of care on social media companies when it comes to young users. US Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, has negotiated with the White House to win support for a package that would include the bill.