Recent revelations about how artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are interacting with and affecting children are colliding with longstanding concerns about tech companies’ approach to safety and revitalizing efforts to pass kids’ online safety legislation.
Chatbots from both Meta and OpenAI have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, raising questions about how to protect young users from potential harms caused by the rapid development of AI.
Several whistleblowers also came forward with new allegations about Meta’s handling of safety research, underscoring issues that have plagued tech companies with large platforms for years.
The latest developments have prompted senators from both sides of the aisle to renew calls to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), legislation aimed at strengthening online protections for children that has faced roadblocks in previous sessions.
“There is truly bipartisan anger, not only with Meta, but with these other social media platforms and virtual reality platforms and chatbots that are intentionally, knowingly harming our children, and this has got to stop,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said at a hearing Tuesday. “Enough is enough.”
KOSA came close to clearing Congress last year, after passing the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support in July 2024.
However, it came up short in the House, where some Republican members voiced concerns about the potential for censorship of conversative views.
In an eleventh-hour effort to get the bill across the finish line in December, senators negotiated updated text with Elon Musk’s X seeking to address GOP concerns.
Musk, who at the time was a key figure in then-President-elect Trump’s orbit, threw his weight behind the legislation following the changes.
However, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ultimately poured cold water on the push, saying he still had reservations about the KOSA’s free speech implications.
Blackburn and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) reintroduced the legislation in May, using the same language negotiated last December.
Notably, the bill had the support of leadership from the outset, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) both joining as co-sponsors.
Check out the full report at TheHill.com this weekend.
Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, I’m Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Uber on Friday, accusing the ride-hailing platform of discriminating against riders with disabilities by “routinely” denying service to wheelchair users and passengers with service dogs. The government alleges that drivers frequently refuse to provide rides to blind passengers with service dogs, canceling trips upon learning they are traveling with an animal. Occasionally, users have been …
Discord said Friday that the person accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk did not use the platform to plan the shooting or promote violence, after officials revealed he sent messages over the app. Law enforcement arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson after a multiday search for Kirk’s killer. The suspect’s roommate shared Discord messages with officials, in which Robinson said he needed to get a rifle from …
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) on Friday urged people to turn away from social media, calling it a “cancer on our society” after announcing that the suspected gunman in the killing of Charlie Kirk is in custody. At the end of his press conference announcing 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspected gunman in the shooting at Utah Valley University, Cox urged people to log off of social media, citing the violent imagery …
The European Union (EU) said Friday it has accepted Microsoft’s proposed changes to its Teams platform, sparing the tech giant from an antitrust fine. Microsoft will unbundle the messaging and conferencing app from Microsoft 365 and Office 365, after the bloc’s executive arm issued a preliminary finding last year that the company had violated antitrust laws by tying the products together. The firm will offer its suite …
Welcome to Crypto Corner, a new feature in The Hill’s Technology newsletter focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington.
Gemini, a crypto exchange founded by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, had a strong showing in its public debut Friday.
The firm began trading on the Nasdaq at $37.01, well above its initial public offering (IPO) price of $28. It closed the day at $32.
It is the latest in a series of crypto firms to go public, as the industry responds to a more favorable regulatory environment under President Trump.
The stablecoin issuer Circle made its debut in June, followed by the crypto exchange Bullish in August.
Gemini’s IPO comes as the Winklevoss twins have found themselves in a public spat with Brian Quintenz, Trump’s nominee to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Quintenz’s Senate confirmation has remained on hold, after the billionaire brothers reportedly urged the president to reconsider his nomination.
The CFTC nominee took to X on Wednesday to share private messages between himself and the Winklevoss twins, suggesting their conversation was the source of the tensions and that Trump “might have been misled.”
In Other News
Branch out with other reads on The Hill:
Trump says he didn’t watch Charlie Kirk shooting video
President Trump said he didn’t watch the video of Charlie Kirk’s shooting in Utah, saying he has steered away from viewing it so he didn’t remember the conservative activist that way. “I don’t want to watch it,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.” He added, “I didn’t want to remember Charlie that way. Yeah, it’s horrific, is what I hear, just horrific.” The president addressed hearing about the “physical emotion” of witnessing …
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is warning civilian and military employees that the Pentagon is “tracking” any comments from them that celebrate or … Read more
FBI Director Kash Patel ended his update on the arrest of Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, with a message … Read more
