Blogs

Kids Online Safety Act Returns

Kids Online Safety Act Returns June 2, 2025 Jessica Arciniega, Katherine Kalpos, Morgan Sexton, and Amelia Vance       CC BY-NC 4.0 The fight for a safer online experience for kids is back on the table. On May 15th, Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), bringing back the exact same proposal from December 2024. We’ve been down this road before, meticulously tracking every twist and turn. But this year, it’s time for a clean slate. This blog cuts through the noise to reveal KOSA’s core components and their potential impact on minors, parents, and […]

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KOSA’s Constitutionality Concerns: Do KOSPA’s Edits Fix the Issues?

KOSA’s Constitutionality Concerns: Do KOSPA’s Edits Fix the Issues? December 12, 2024 Jessica Arciniega, Katherine Kalpos, Morgan Sexton, and Amelia Vance       CC BY-NC 4.0 As the 118th Congress nears its end, PIPC has been closely tracking the likelihood of federal child privacy protections becoming law. As you may recall, the Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA) in July, incorporating two major child privacy bills–the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). The House Energy & Commerce Committee passed versions of KOSA and COPPA 2.0

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Comparing Provisions in KOSMA and KOSA

Comparing Provisions in KOSMA and KOSA The Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) are progressing through Congress, both with the shared objective of protecting children online. KOSA attempts to achieve this goal with broad requirements that are aimed at making the platforms minors use safer. KOSMA, on the other hand, aims to protect children from social media in two main ways: Prohibiting minors under age 13 from creating or maintaining social media accounts Prohibiting social media companies from targeted content to to minors using algorithms Requiring schools to block and filter social media

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Comparing Definitions of “Social Media Platform” in KOSMA

Comparing Definitions of “Social Media Platform” in KOSMA The Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA),* introduced on May 1st, is a bipartisan bill that combines Senator Schatz’s Protecting Kids on Social Media Act and Senator Cruz’s Eyes on the Board Act. According to the press release, KOSMA aims to: “Prohibit children under the age of 13 from creating or maintaining social media accounts, consistent with the current stated policies of major social media companies; Prohibit social media companies from pushing targeted content using algorithms to users under the age of 17; Provide the FTC and state attorneys general authority to

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House Improves KOSA, but Major Problems Persist for Schools

House Improves KOSA, but Major Problems Persist for Schools May 2024 Katherine Kalpos, Morgan Sexton, and Amelia Vance       CC BY-NC 4.0 Introduction On April 9, 2024, Representative Bilirakis released the text of the House version of Senator Blumenthal’s Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The bill, which is fundamentally based on valuable goals and principles, includes many positive revisions to better align with KOSA’s underlying goal to protect kids online. However, concerns remain that it may create major unintended consequences for schools. In particular, KOSA may limit the ability of schools to effectively implement edtech into instruction and

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Comparing Requirements for Schools Under E-Rate & KOSMA

Comparing Requirements for Schools Under E-Rate & KOSMA The Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA), introduced on May 1st, is a bipartisan bill that combines Senator Schatz’s Protecting Kids on Social Media Act and Senator Cruz’s Eyes on the Board Act. According to the press release, KOSMA aims to: “Prohibit children under the age of 13 from creating or maintaining social media accounts, consistent with the current stated policies of major social media companies; Prohibit social media companies from pushing targeted content using algorithms to users under the age of 17; Provide the FTC and state attorneys general authority to

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Recommended Resources: State Laws

Recommended Resources State Laws April 2024 Jessica Arciniega, Katherine Kalpos, Morgan Sexton, and Amelia Vance       CC BY-NC 4.0 Introduction With an abundance of exceptional resources and training programs out there, brushing up on federal child and student privacy laws like FERPA and COPPA has never been more accessible. And while mastery of these is crucial, it’s just the beginning. Since 2014, legislators across the states have passed over 140 new child and student privacy laws. Diving deep into the specific provisions of state legislation is no longer a bonus–it is essential. We’ve pulled together our top resources

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Recommended Resources: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Recommended Resources The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) April 2024 Jessica Arciniega, Katherine Kalpos, Morgan Sexton, and Amelia Vance       CC BY-NC 4.0 Introduction It’s time to revisit your COPPA knowledge! In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to update the COPPA Rule that would mean big changes for companies and schools, codifying some of the changes stakeholders have been advocating for. To equip you with the necessary tools to decode and navigate potential changes in the NPRM, we’ve handpicked our top 5 resources on COPPA and how it applies

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Tis the Season for Rulemaking: FTC Announces New COPPA NPRM

Tis the Season for Rulemaking: FTC Announces New COPPA NPRM December 20, 2023 Katherine Kalpos, Morgan Sexton, and Amelia Vance       CC BY-NC 4.0 Hello all, While we might have thought child and student privacy work for the year was winding down, the FTC had other ideas. Today the FTC released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) that would mean big changes for companies and schools, codifying some of the changes stakeholders have been advocating for. We’ll be going through the NPRM in detail over the next few days.

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What New Amendment to the Kids Online Safety Act May Mean for Integrated Data Systems

What New Amendment to the Kids Online Safety Act May Mean for Integrated Data Systems September 2023 Katherine Kalpos, Morgan Sexton, and Amelia Vance       CC BY-NC 4.0 A new amendment to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) isn’t just about kids.  On July 27th, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed KOSA as amended out of committee. While KOSA is designed to protect kids online, one of its new amendments – the Filter Bubble Transparency Act (aka Thune 2), hereafter referred to as “the amendment” – regulates platforms providing content to users of all ages. And notably for governmental integrated data system

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