Since 2022, the proposed duty of care has served as the primary mechanism for holding web platforms legally liable for online harms, including cyberbullying, sextortion, and illegal drug access. Families who lost children to these digital dangers view the provision as an essential tool for forcing corporate policy shifts. Conversely, critics have long argued that such liability would pressure companies to over-censor content, specifically fearing the removal of vital LGBTQ resources.
Kids Online Safety Act faces critical gutting of core duty of care
The Kids Online Safety Act, a landmark legislative effort to regulate internet platforms, faces a possible dilution that threatens to strip away its most contentious provision. Congressional staff and advocacy groups signal that the bill may return to the House without the mandatory duty of care requirement.
This potential compromise follows the bill's stagnation in the House after clearing the Senate last year. While the removal of the duty of care might appease civil liberties groups concerned about platform censorship, it risks alienating the core coalition of parents who campaigned for the legislation. Lawmakers are reportedly weighing this stripped-down version as part of a broader package of safety measures expected once the government shutdown ends.
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