HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general opposing a federal online child safety bill that states say could limit their authority to regulate social media companies and emerging artificial intelligence platforms.
The coalition is urging Congressional leaders to reject the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, or KIDS Act, arguing the legislation’s federal preemption provisions would override state laws targeting online harms involving minors while reducing legal exposure for large technology companies.
The opposition places state attorneys general at odds with a broader congressional push to establish national standards for online child safety as lawmakers face mounting scrutiny over social media’s effects on teenagers and the rapid expansion of AI-powered consumer platforms.
Introduced in March by Representative Brett Guthrie, the KIDS Act, H.R. 7757, combines several youth online safety proposals into a single legislative package advancing through the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The measure includes a House version of the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, alongside provisions aimed at restricting minors’ exposure to obscenity, regulating ephemeral messaging and gaming platforms, and imposing disclosure and safety requirements on AI chatbot providers.
State attorneys general opposing the bill said the legislation’s broad preemption language could undermine state consumer protection efforts already underway against companies, including Meta and TikTok, over allegations their platforms contribute to mental health harms among minors.
The coalition instead endorsed the Senate version of KOSA, S. 1748, which includes a “duty of care” requirement obligating online platforms to act in minors’ best interests while preserving states’ enforcement authority.
“Through ongoing discussions with students, parents, and educators, my office has heard directly about the growing challenges children face online,” Sunday said in a statement. “My office will continue holding those individuals and companies accountable while working every day to protect the next generation of Pennsylvanians.”
The Attorney General’s Office said the position aligns with broader state efforts targeting digital harms involving children, including investigations into social media platform practices and online exploitation involving AI tools.
Last week, Sunday’s office released its teenTALK report examining the mental health effects of social media on teenagers and outlining recommendations for schools, lawmakers, parents, students, and technology companies.
The coalition includes attorneys general from more than 35 states and territories, including New Jersey, New York, California, Ohio, and Tennessee.
The letter opposing the legislation was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
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