HARRISBURG, PA \u2014 Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general urging Congress to enact nationwide safety requirements for social media and gaming platforms, seeking federal protections for children while preserving states\u2019 authority to regulate emerging online threats.<\/p>\n
The coalition is calling for passage of the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, which would establish minimum safety standards for technology platforms used by children and teenagers.<\/p>\n
The proposal would create a federal duty of care for social media and gaming companies, establishing an ongoing legal standard intended to address risks to young users as digital services and technologies evolve.<\/p>\n
The attorneys general argue that nationwide requirements are necessary because enforcement actions and settlements involving individual companies cannot establish consistent protections across the technology industry.<\/p>\n
Their request follows a recently announced $17 billion multistate settlement with Meta that requires new safeguards for users younger than 18 on Facebook and Instagram.<\/p>\n
Those measures include daily usage limits, restrictions on nighttime access, stronger protections against bullying, limits on certain potentially harmful content and expanded parental controls.<\/p>\n
The coalition maintains that the settlement, while imposing significant requirements on Meta, does not extend comparable obligations to competing platforms.<\/p>\n
KOSA\u2019s duty-of-care provision would address that limitation by establishing requirements applicable more broadly to social media and gaming services.<\/p>\n
The attorneys general also want Congress to preserve states\u2019 authority to enact and enforce additional consumer protection measures as new online risks emerge.<\/p>\n
That provision is particularly important to state enforcement officials, who have pursued investigations and litigation involving social media companies over concerns about addictive platform design and potential harm to children\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n
Since 2021, attorneys general across the country have investigated major technology platforms and brought lawsuits alleging that certain design features and business practices harmed young users.<\/p>\n
Sunday identified addictive platforms, online bullying, potentially harmful chatbots and other uses of artificial intelligence among the risks facing children.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is well-documented \u2014 and known to social media companies \u2014 that extended use of social media is harmful,\u201d Sunday stated. \u201cParents deserve to know they have a strong advocate willing and able to act quickly as new threats emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also emphasized the need for federal action alongside continued state enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongress has an opportunity \u2013 and a responsibility \u2013 to put children first,\u201d Sunday stated.<\/p>\n
The bipartisan effort is being led by attorneys general from Hawaii, Ohio, Tennessee and Connecticut, with Pennsylvania joining officials from states and U.S. territories across the country.<\/p>\n
Other participants include attorneys general from California, New York, Texas\u2019 neighboring states Arizona and New Mexico, and several Mid-Atlantic jurisdictions, including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n
The coalition\u2019s letter reflects a broader effort by state law enforcement officials to move beyond company-specific litigation toward federal standards governing how online platforms protect minors.<\/p>\n
Under the approach advocated by the attorneys general, federal legislation would establish baseline protections while allowing states to respond independently to new technologies, platform features and potentially harmful practices.<\/p>\n
The requested legislation remains subject to congressional action.<\/p>\n