Bill on Children’s Digital Safety Advances in U.S. Congress
A comprehensive bill aimed at protecting children and young people online in the United States has been approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is set to be considered by the full House. Following a heated debate, the “Children’s Internet and Digital Safety Act” passed the committee by 28 votes to 24.
The bill would require online platforms to introduce stronger safeguards for younger users. These include enhanced parental control tools, limits on addictive algorithms, and stricter moderation of content aimed at children. It also introduces new rules for AI chatbots, which would be required to clearly disclose that they are not human when interacting with children and to provide guidance when users are exposed to potentially harmful content.
However, the proposal remains politically contentious. Democrats argue that the bill leaves significant loopholes for technology companies, while Republicans describe it as the most comprehensive child online safety package to date. Disagreements continue, particularly over provisions relating to the responsibilities of tech firms.
Criticism has also come from outside politics. Some groups representing parents, teachers and digital safety advocates warn that the current proposal may not go far enough and are calling for stronger protections.