Rep. Laurel Lee's Online Safety Legislation Passes House as Part of the KIDS Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 7757, the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to strengthen protections for children and teenagers online. The package includes two bipartisan bills led by Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15): the Promoting a Safer Internet for Minors Act and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0).

Together, the two provisions strengthen online protections by equipping families with practical internet safety resources while modernizing federal privacy protections to better safeguard children's and teenagers' personal information in today's digital environment.

"Children deserve to be able to learn, connect, and explore online without sacrificing their privacy or safety," said Congresswoman Laurel Lee. "The digital landscape has changed dramatically, and our laws must keep pace. I am proud that the House passed the KIDS Act, including my bipartisan legislation to provide families with the tools they need to navigate online risks and to strengthen protections for children's and teenagers' personal information. This legislation represents an important step toward ensuring online platforms are more accountable and parents have greater confidence that their children are protected online."

The KIDS Act addresses the growing risks children face online, including cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, harmful online content, excessive data collection, and other digital threats. As technology continues to evolve, including the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, the legislation updates federal law to better protect minors while empowering parents with additional resources and transparency.

Promoting a Safer Internet for Minors Act

The KIDS Act incorporates Rep. Lee's bipartisan Promoting a Safer Internet for Minors Act, introduced with Co-Lead Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09).

The legislation directs the Federal Trade Commission to establish a nationwide public awareness and education campaign that provides parents, educators, community leaders, and young people with practical guidance on safe and responsible internet use.

“I’m proud to work across the aisle with my fellow Floridian to ensure we protect our children's safety online. This initiative will help us educate families on best practices to promote the safe use of the internet by minors,” said Rep. Darren Soto. “As lawmakers, it is our responsibility to review common-sense reforms that will help make the internet safer for everyone.”

Specifically, the initiative will:

• Identify and promote best practices for protecting minors online.
• Conduct a nationwide outreach and education campaign focused on online safety.
• Provide information on both the benefits and potential harms of digital and social media use among minors.
• Elevate successful online safety education efforts led by schools, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and private-sector partners.

The legislation also requires the FTC to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the implementation and effectiveness of the campaign.

COPPA 2.0

The KIDS Act also includes COPPA 2.0, bipartisan legislation co-led by Rep. Lee and Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-05) to modernize the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act for today's digital environment.

Originally enacted in 1998, COPPA established online privacy protections for children under the age of 13. The House-passed legislation updates those protections to reflect how children and teenagers use the internet today while providing families with greater control over their personal information.

"Since COPPA was enacted in 1998, the online world has changed in ways few could have imagined," said Rep Walberg. "COPPA 2.0 will help provide families with the tools necessary to navigate the modern digital landscape by banning targeted advertising and strengthening protections for children and teenagers. Safety online begins with privacy, and our goal is simple: to provide parents with genuine peace of mind, as young users spend an increasing amount of time online."

Specifically, the legislation:

• Requires parental consent before children under the age of 14 can access digital services covered by the law.
• Expands key privacy protections to teenagers under the age of 18.
• Prohibits targeted advertising directed at children and teenagers.
• Gives young users and their families the right to access, correct, and delete personal information collected about them.
• Increases transparency and accountability for data brokers that collect or sell children's personal information by requiring them to register with the Federal Trade Commission and be listed in a publicly searchable database.

These reforms modernize federal online privacy law, strengthen safeguards for children and teenagers, and ensure online platforms and data brokers are more accountable for how they collect, use, and maintain young people's personal information.

The KIDS Act now advances to the Senate for consideration.

Watch Rep. Lee’s floor speech below: