A bill called the Kids Off Social Media Act — KOSMA — is moving through Congress with support from both Republicans and Democrats. Forty state attorneys general have urged Congress to pass it. It has not yet become law, but it is further along than any previous federal legislation on children and social media.

Here is what it would actually do.

Under-13s Would Be Banned From Social Media

Platforms would be legally prohibited from allowing children under 13 to create or maintain accounts. This sounds familiar because most platforms already claim to have this policy. The difference is enforcement: currently, platforms rely on users entering a date of birth, which children routinely falsify. Under KOSMA, platforms that knowingly allow under-13s to use their services would face legal consequences — fines enforced by the FTC and state attorneys general.

It would also require platforms to delete existing accounts and data for children under 13. That is new.

Under-17s Would Be Protected From Algorithmic Feeds

This is the part that would have the biggest practical effect on teenagers — and the part that gets the least attention.

Platforms would be prohibited from using personalised recommendation algorithms for anyone under 17. Your teenager could still use social media. They could still search for content, choose accounts to follow, and see posts from those accounts. What they could not receive is the feed — the one that tracks how long they pause on a video, what they click on, and what keeps them scrolling — and uses all of that to push more of the same.

That feed is what platforms have fought hardest to protect, because it is what keeps users on the app longest. Removing it for under-17s would not end social media for teenagers. It would change what social media feels like — and take away the mechanism most associated with compulsive use.

Schools Would Be Required to Block Social Media

Most US public schools receive federal funding called E-Rate, which helps pay for internet and technology. Under KOSMA, any school receiving that funding would be required to block social media on its networks and devices.

This matters because schools already claim to have social media restriction policies — but research shows American teenagers average around 70 minutes of phone use during the school day anyway. Tying enforcement to federal funding gives the requirement real weight.

What Hasn’t Happened Yet

KOSMA has passed committee and gained House support but has not been signed into law. Legal challenges are expected — similar state-level laws have run into court battles over free speech questions. Whether a federal version holds up in court is not yet known.

What This Means for Your Family

If KOSMA passes, the algorithmic restriction is the change most likely to affect your teenager’s experience — even if they are old enough to keep their account. A social media feed that shows posts in chronological order from accounts they chose to follow is a fundamentally different product from one optimised to keep them on the platform as long as possible.

That is the change that would matter most. And it is the one platforms have resisted hardest.

KOSMA (S.278) passed the Senate Commerce Committee in February 2025. As of March 2026 it has not been signed into law.