Letitia James, joined by a bipartisan group of 39 other state attorneys general, urged Congress to adopt the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), S. 1748, in a letter to congressional leadership. In the letter, the group expressed support for the Senate bill and raised concerns about the House version, H.R. 6484, particularly language related to federal preemption that they said could limit the enforcement of state-level child protection laws, including New York’s SAFE for Kids Act.
Letitia James highlighted that states are actively addressing challenges related to minors’ mental health and social media use. New York’s SAFE for Kids Act limits addictive content aimed at children and includes protections for minors’ data against commercial exploitation. According to the Attorney General’s office, the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (S. 1748) preserves state authority to implement stricter protections, requires social media companies to exercise reasonable care to prevent foreseeable harm, and addresses a range of online risks, including suicide, eating disorders, compulsive use, and other mental health and financial impacts.
Support for the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (S. 1748) comes from attorneys general in a range of states, including Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and the District of Columbia. Letitia James stated that the legislation is intended to enhance online safety for children and mitigate the effects of design features on social media that can encourage addictive behavior. The initiative follows research indicating potential mental health impacts of social media use among minors, which experts say are widely recognized by platform companies.
Letitia James and a coalition of state attorneys general have argued that the House version of the Kids Online Safety Act (H.R. 6484) could limit states’ ability to address emerging online risks to children. The coalition emphasized the importance of safeguarding minors in a digital environment where online activity begins at an early age. Attorneys general from various jurisdictions, including Utah, Vermont, and American Samoa, joined James in supporting the Senate version of the bill to maintain state-level authority over child protection online.
