Congressional hearing on proposed Meta amendments to Kids Online Safety Act
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is actively lobbying U.S. lawmakers to grant it legal immunity from lawsuits that allege harm to children resulting from its social media platforms. This significant lobbying effort comes at a critical time, as Meta faces a growing number of legal challenges, including consolidated claims in California and separate lawsuits from states and school districts.
The company’s proposal, reportedly part of negotiations surrounding the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) currently under consideration in the Senate, seeks to shield online companies from liability under state law concerning alleged harm to individuals under 18. According to Reuters, the proposed language aims to establish uniform federal standards for online youth safety, asserting that these issues should be governed by comprehensive federal legislation rather than state-specific laws or the actions of plaintiffs’ lawyers.
Meta spokesperson Stephanie Otway stated that the provision “does not extinguish existing lawsuits, nor does it represent blanket immunity.” She emphasized that it aims to create national standards, preventing a patchwork of state regulations. However, critics like Julia Duncan of the American Association for Justice, a trial lawyers’ group, argue that the proposed language would effectively end all pending lawsuits against social media companies for harm to children.
The lobbying effort is seen as a strategic move by Meta, potentially in exchange for dropping its opposition to KOSA. The act itself, sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), aims to compel social media companies to implement measures to protect minors from harms such as compulsive use. Negotiations are ongoing between Senator Blackburn and the White House regarding the inclusion of child online safety bills and provisions that could preempt certain state laws concerning artificial intelligence.
This push for immunity follows a recent development where a Los Angeles jury awarded $6 million in damages against Meta and Google in a bellwether case alleging that Instagram and YouTube were designed in ways that harmed a young user. Both companies have indicated their intention to appeal this ruling. Meta has previously threatened to withdraw Facebook and Instagram from New Mexico over child safety trial requirements, highlighting the high stakes involved in these legal and regulatory battles.
KOSA has a complex legislative history, having passed the Senate in 2024 before failing in the House, and has since been reintroduced with bipartisan support. The bill would require tech companies to exercise care in implementing features like infinite scrolling and activity notifications, which have been argued in court to be addictive and harmful to young people.
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