What is KOSA?
The Kids Online Safety Act explained
A comprehensive guide to the landmark legislation that would require platforms to protect minors from online harms through a duty of care, default safety settings, and algorithmic controls.
KOSA (the Kids Online Safety Act) is a proposed U.S. federal law that would establish a duty of care for online platforms, requiring them to protect minors from harmful content and addictive design features. Passed by the Senate 91-3 in July 2024, KOSA would require platforms to enable the strongest safety settings by default for users under 17 and allow minors to opt out of algorithmic recommendations.
KOSA at a Glance
2023
Introduced
Passed Senate
Status
91-3
Senate vote
Under 17
Age threshold
$50,000/violation
Penalty
Bipartisan
Sponsors
What Does KOSA Require?
KOSA takes a comprehensive approach to online safety by addressing both platform design and content practices that affect minors.
Duty of Care
Platforms must exercise reasonable care to prevent and mitigate harms to minors, including mental health harms, bullying, exploitation, and substance abuse promotion.
Strongest Default Settings
All privacy and safety settings for minor users must default to the most restrictive options. Platforms cannot require minors to opt out of data collection or personalization.
Opt-Out of Algorithmic Feeds
Minors must be able to opt out of personalized algorithmic recommendations. Chronological or non-personalized feeds must be the default experience.
Disable Addictive Features
Platforms must disable features that drive compulsive usage: infinite scroll, autoplay, push notification streaks, and variable-reward engagement patterns.
Annual Independent Audits
Covered platforms must conduct annual independent audits assessing compliance with duty-of-care obligations and make audit summaries publicly available.
FTC Enforcement
The FTC would have authority to enforce KOSA provisions with civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation. State attorneys general may also bring enforcement actions.
Full List of Key Provisions
- Duty of care requiring platforms to prevent and mitigate harms to minors
- Strongest default privacy settings for minors must be enabled by default
- Minors must be able to opt out of algorithmic recommendations
- Platforms must disable addictive design features (autoplay, notifications, rewards) by default for minors
- FTC enforcement authority with civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation
- Annual independent audits of platform compliance required
Who Must Comply with KOSA?
KOSA applies broadly to commercial platforms that are "likely to be accessed by minors."
Social Media Platforms
Major social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube would be subject to KOSA's duty of care requirements. These platforms would need to enable the strongest safety settings by default and disable addictive features for minor users.
Video Streaming Services
Streaming platforms including Netflix, YouTube, and other video services would need to disable autoplay, limit algorithmic recommendations, and provide parental tools for minor accounts.
Gaming and Interactive Platforms
Online gaming platforms, virtual worlds, and interactive services frequented by minors would be covered. This includes in-game communication features, notification systems, and engagement mechanics designed to drive usage.
KOSA vs COPPA: What's the Difference?
While both laws aim to protect children online, they take fundamentally different approaches.
Current Status of KOSA
KOSA introduced in the 118th Congress
Introduced as S. 1409 by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT) and Blackburn (R-TN) with broad bipartisan support.
Passed the Senate 91-3
KOSA was combined with COPPA 2.0 into the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSMA) and passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support.
118th Congress expired without House vote
Despite Senate passage, the House of Representatives did not vote on KOSMA before the 118th Congress adjourned, and the bill expired.
Expected reintroduction in the 119th Congress
Supporters of KOSA have indicated plans to reintroduce the legislation. Given the strong Senate support, the bill is expected to be a priority in the new Congress.
How Phosra Helps with KOSA Compliance
Even before KOSA becomes law, Phosra lets you enforce its core safety requirements across platforms through a single API — so you're ready when it passes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kids Online Safety Act?
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is a proposed U.S. federal law that would establish a duty of care for online platforms to protect minors from harm. It requires platforms to enable the strongest privacy settings by default for minors, allow them to opt out of algorithmic recommendations, and disable addictive design features like autoplay, infinite scroll, and notification streaks.
Has KOSA been signed into law?
As of early 2026, KOSA has not been signed into law. The bill passed the U.S. Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support (91-3) in July 2024 as part of KOSMA (combined with COPPA 2.0), but the House of Representatives did not vote on it before the 118th Congress ended in January 2025. Supporters are working to reintroduce the bill in the 119th Congress.
What age does KOSA protect?
KOSA is designed to protect all minors, generally defined as individuals under 17. Unlike COPPA, which focuses on children under 13, KOSA takes a broader approach to cover teenagers who are active on social media and other online platforms.
How is KOSA different from COPPA?
COPPA focuses on data privacy and requires parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. KOSA takes a different approach by establishing a duty of care for platforms, requiring them to proactively prevent harms to all minors (under 17) — including mental health harms, bullying, and addictive design. COPPA regulates data collection; KOSA regulates platform design and safety.
What platforms does KOSA apply to?
KOSA would apply to commercial online platforms that are 'likely to be accessed by minors.' This includes social media platforms, video streaming services, gaming platforms, and other interactive online services. It covers major platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and many others used by young people.