AG Skrmetti Urges Congress to Pass Kids Online Safety Act

AG: Tennessee News

Published February 11th, 2026

Detected March 18th, 2026

Summary

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, joined by 40 other attorneys general, urged Congressional leadership to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The coalition supports the Senate version (S. 1748) for its Duty of Care requirement and preservation of state authority, expressing concern that the House version (H.R. 6484) could preempt existing state laws protecting minors online.

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What changed

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 40 state attorneys general, has formally urged Congressional leadership to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The coalition specifically supports the Senate's version of the bill (S. 1748), which includes a "Duty of Care" requirement for online platforms and aims to preserve states' authority to enforce and strengthen protections for minors. Concerns were raised regarding the House version (H.R. 6484) due to its "expansive preemption language," which the attorneys general believe could undermine existing and future state laws designed to protect children from online harms.

This action highlights the ongoing efforts by states to regulate online platforms' impact on minors and signals a potential shift towards federal legislation. While this document is a notice of advocacy and not a rule itself, it indicates a strong push for federal standards that could affect technology companies' operational practices regarding child safety features, data collection, and platform design. Companies should monitor the legislative progress of KOSA, particularly the Senate's version, as it could introduce new compliance obligations and reinforce the need for robust child safety measures. The attorneys general's stance suggests that federal action is seen as urgent, especially in light of ongoing state-level investigations and lawsuits against social media companies concerning their impact on underage users.

What to do next

Monitor legislative developments regarding the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), particularly S. 1748 and H.R. 6484.
Review internal policies and practices related to child safety features and online design elements in light of potential federal "Duty of Care" requirements.
Assess potential impacts of federal preemption language on existing state-level compliance obligations for online platforms.

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Skrmetti Urges Congress to Pass Kids Online Safety Act

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 10:39am Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti today, together with a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general, urged Congressional leadership to protect children from online harm and pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

The letter was circulated to House and Senate leadership in advance of potential consideration of the House version of KOSA, H.R. 6484, which contains expansive preemption language. States have pioneered laws that promote online safety for minors, and attorneys general expressed concern in their letter that the provisions in H.R. 6484 could undermine existing and future state laws designed to protect children online and would limit states’ ability to respond to and address new and emerging online harms.

In the letter, the attorneys general expressed support for the Senate version of KOSA, S. 1748, which includes a key Duty of Care requirement while enhancing and preserving states’ authority to enforce and strengthen online protections for minors.

“States are often the first to see the real-world consequences when powerful technology platforms fail to put kids’ safety first,” Attorney General Skrmetti said. “Congress should not tie the hands of state lawmakers and law enforcement who are actively working to protect children from addictive and harmful online design features. The Senate’s approach gets this balance right by setting strong national standards while respecting states’ ability to act when new threats emerge.”

This push for federal legislation comes as many state attorneys general offices have launched investigations and lawsuits against major social media platforms such as Meta and TikTok for their targeting of underage users. The attorneys general emphasized the urgency of congressional action as scrutiny of social media companies intensifies and evidence continues to mount regarding the harmful impact of addictive design features on children and teens.

Tennessee joins the attorneys general of Connecticut, Hawaii, and Ohio, who are joined by American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wyoming,

Read the letter.