House Energy and Commerce Committee unveils revised KOSA legislation

The subcommittee on commerce is scheduled to review these proposals on Tuesday. The House draft notably breaks from the Senate version passed last year by stripping away the controversial “duty of care” provision. That original clause would have held platforms legally liable for harms like depression and eating disorders, a move critics argued risked broad censorship of protected speech.

In its place, the new framework mandates that social media companies implement reasonable policies and procedures to address four specific categories: physical violence, sexual exploitation, the illicit sale of substances or gambling, and financial harm from deceptive practices. Lawmakers have tied the rigor of these requirements to the scale and technical feasibility of each platform, shifting the focus from broad liability to targeted procedural mandates.