The KIDS Act would require age checks to get online
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
The KIDS Act would force age checks on all users, harming privacy and speech.
Congress is voting on the KIDS Act, combining KOSA and other bills to require age verification for all users. The bill pressures platforms to moderate lawful speech on topics like drug use and gambling, and regulates private encrypted and ephemeral messages. Though it claims not to mandate age verification, legal risks will push sites to collect IDs or use flawed age-estimation systems that fail for people of color and transgender users. Adults will also be forced to prove their age.
What commenters are saying
Commenters widely condemn the KIDS Act as a surveillance and control measure backed by Meta's $2 billion lobbying effort. Many see it as part of Project 2025 to outlaw pornography, while some argue the problems with kids online are real but the solutions are wrong. Others note that local political engagement is needed to educate non-technical legislators.