"A historic new law would protect kids online and hold tech companies accountable", 3 Aug 2024

...Last year, a group of bipartisan senators introduced the Kids Online Safety Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation addressing growing concern from parents about the impact of online and social media platforms on children and teens.

The legislation passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support earlier this week, and the measure now heads to the Republican-led House...

The legislation would require tech companies to implement measures to help protect kids from exposure to harmful content...

The bill would also raise the maximum age of children covered under the law to 17; ban companies from collecting data from minors, including biometric indicators such as fingerprints, voiceprints and facial imagery; and improve parental controls...

Along with the safety bill, the Senate also passed online privacy legislation that would prohibit online companies from collecting personal information from kids under the age of 17 without their consent..