05/26/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/26/2026 10:55
May 26, 2026 (DENVER) - Today, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced he has joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general opposing the federal Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), H.R. 7757, arguing the bill would weaken states' ability to protect children online while insulating Big Tech from accountability.
The coalition warned the KIDS Act would broadly preempt state laws addressing online harms to minors, including social media harms, obscenity, social gaming platforms, and artificial intelligence chatbots.
Attorney General Weiser emphasized that Congress should instead advance legislation that includes a meaningful duty of care requirement for online platforms.
"The efforts to preempt state oversight of Big Tech companies for their harms to our kids are wrong and must be stopped," Attorney General Weiser said. "It's way past time for Congress to get serious about adopting meaningful measures that protect our kids online and that can be enforced at both the federal and state level. Until Congress gets its act together and does so, states will continue to be on the front line of holding Big Tech companies accountable for how they harm our kids."
The coalition expressed support for the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act, S. 1748, which includes a key duty of care provision requiring online platforms to act in the best interests of minors while preserving states' authority to enforce stronger protections for children and teens.
The letter comes as attorneys general across the country continue investigations and litigation involving major social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, over allegations that their platforms target and harm underage users.
Attorney General Weiser joins the attorneys general of Connecticut, Hawaii, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The letter is being sent to congressional leadership, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
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