### Time to Verify Ages? Sounds Like a Tech Company’s Dream
So, the House Energy and Commerce Committee just passed a bill aimed at making the internet “safer” for kids. They voted 28-24 along party lines, because who needs bipartisan support when you’re on a mission, right? The Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act is now headed to the House floor for a full vote, but let’s take a moment to unpack what’s really happening here.
Republicans, in their usual fashion, pushed this bill through while waving off any concerns from Democrats, who claimed it was too cozy with tech companies and would step all over state regulations. You know, because letting states decide how to protect children is just too much freedom. Meanwhile, Senate versions of similar bills have bipartisan backing—funny how that works.
The committee spent over two hours debating amendments that could’ve actually strengthened the bill. Spoiler alert: none of those amendments made it through. Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) lamented the lack of bipartisan spirit, saying it was “unfortunate” that they couldn’t all get on the same page. But hey, when has Congress ever let a little thing like cooperation stand in the way of a good headline?
Guthrie’s KIDS Act rolls in a bunch of bills that supposedly focus on keeping children safe online, including age verification for adult content. Because, sure, that’s the problem we need to solve. Democrats and kids’ safety advocates think the House version is weaker than its Senate counterpart because it skips out on the “duty of care” language—basically a fancy way of saying companies should actually think about kids when designing their products.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) was all about wanting “something better, stronger,” as if we haven’t heard that a million times before. This new package promises safety settings for kids’ accounts and mandatory disclosures for AI chatbots. Because nothing screams safety like a government study on social media’s mental health impact.
Here’s a thought: maybe instead of overhauling the internet with more regulations, we could just teach kids how to navigate it safely? Just a wild idea. But hey, if Congress can pass a bill that looks good on paper, who cares if it actually solves the problem?
By Admin | Published: March 5, 2026 at 4:52 pm
