A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SAFE KIDS Act requires providers of certain AI chatbots to implement specific safety measures for users under 18. It mandates that these providers use age estimation technology to distinguish between children and adults. Providers must conduct regular risk assessments and implement safeguards to prevent harms such as physical, financial, or psychological injury. The bill also requires the creation of parental settings to allow for usage limits and feature restrictions. Additionally, it prohibits child-targeted advertising and the sale or sharing of children's personal information without verifiable parental consent. Finally, providers must undergo annual independent audits to ensure compliance with these safety standards.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +9
Would children be better off under this?
The bill implements extensive safety safeguards, age estimation, and privacy protections specifically for minors.
- Scored +8
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The bill prohibits the sale or sharing of children's personal information without verifiable parental consent.
- Scored +7
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill mandates safety measures, parental controls, and prohibits deceptive design and targeted advertising for children.
The opposite
- Scored -6
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill imposes significant compliance costs through mandatory annual independent audits and risk assessments.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Child Safety: Providers must implement risk mitigation and safeguards, such as usage reminders and age-appropriate warnings, to protect against foreseeable harms like eating disorders or self-harm (Section 4(a)(2)).
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Improved Crisis Response: The Act requires a documented crisis-response protocol to provide timely support and referrals to external resources if a user expresses suicidal ideation or intent to harm others (Section 4(a)(4)).
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Increased Parental Control: Parents are provided with specific tools to set usage limits, control whether personal information is used for training, and disable specific features (Section 4(a)(7)).
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Protection from Deceptive Design: The bill prohibits the use of deceptive design patterns that might interfere with a child's or parent's ability to use safety and privacy controls (Section 5(e)).
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Privacy Protections: The Act prohibits the sale or sharing of a child's personal information without verifiable parental consent, preventing unauthorized data use (Section 5(c)).
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Prevention of Harmful Content: Providers are prohibited from knowingly making available content that encourages unlawful activities, eating disorders, or sexual exploitation (Section 4(a)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Burden on Providers: Companies are required to pay for annual independent audits, which could be a significant cost to the provider (Section 7(a)(1)).
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Strict Penalties for Violations: Providers face civil penalties of $1,000 per violation per user for failure to maintain safeguards, and up to $10,000 per violation for willful violations regarding sexual exploitation or false information (Section 8(a)(3)).
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Data Collection Requirements: To comply with age verification, providers must implement age estimation technology, which involves establishing and maintaining data security measures for that data (Section 3(d)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill prohibits the sale or sharing of children's personal information without verifiable parental consent. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires providers to publish child safety policies and annual audit summaries on their websites.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill mandates safety measures, parental controls, and prohibits deceptive design and targeted advertising for children.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill requires crisis-response protocols for users expressing suicidal ideation or intent to harm themselves.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill implements extensive safety safeguards, age estimation, and privacy protections specifically for minors. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill imposes significant compliance costs through mandatory annual independent audits and risk assessments.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make child care cost less? — The bill provides parents with tools to manage and limit their children's digital interactions.
- 6/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California