Sponsors (18)
The bill gives parents and vetted third‑party apps clearer authority and federal enforcement tools to protect children on the largest social platforms, but its limited coverage, compliance costs, interoperability limits, data‑transfer practices, and legal uncertainties mean many children may remain unprotected and choices for families could shrink.
Parents and children (13+) gain a formal ability to delegate account management to vetted third‑party safety apps so guardians can control privacy, content, and marketing settings on major platforms.
Parents and children get stronger federal enforcement options because violations by covered platforms can be pursued through the FTC with existing civil penalty and remedy tools.
Children under 17 are given a clear legal definition and the bill concentrates obligations on 'large social media platforms' (100M monthly users or $1B revenue), focusing regulatory effort on the biggest services kids use.
Many children and families will remain outside the law’s protections because the coverage threshold (100M monthly users or $1B revenue) and possible platform reclassification let smaller or differently positioned services avoid obligations.
Platforms and third‑party safety providers face significant compliance, audit, and U.S.-data‑hosting costs that could reduce the number of available safety services or be passed on to users.
Parents and children cannot force platforms to provide real‑time delegation or interoperability, limiting practical options for immediate account controls and meaning fewer effective safety tools in practice.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Requires large social platforms to provide FTC‑registered third‑party safety apps with real‑time APIs and data access so parents/children can delegate management of a child's account to protect them.
Requires very large social media platforms to give FTC‑registered third‑party safety software real‑time access (APIs and data transfers) so a child (13+) or the child’s parent/guardian can delegate management of the child’s account, interactions, and settings to that software to protect the child. The Federal Trade Commission enforces the rule, issues guidance, and the law does not take effect until the FTC issues that guidance. States are barred from forcing platforms to build similar APIs, though state consumer‑protection laws and other traditional causes of action remain available.
Introduced April 3, 2025 by Debbie Wasserman Schultz · Last progress April 3, 2025