Can You Actually Keep Kids Off Social Media Without Age Verification?
Children’s online safety is back on the agenda with the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee’s recent markup of the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA). That bill would make social-media platforms liable for allowing kids under age 13 to create or maintain a profile.
But it’s worth considering whether KOSMA could possibly be effective if kids (and teens) continue to lie to create social-media profiles—sometimes, even with help from their parents. In attempting to avoid First Amendment limitations on online age verification, the law undercuts its own effectiveness.
Moreover, KOSMA would make social media noticeably worse for teen users by limiting platforms’ ability to curate content for them effectively. The end result would be increased incentive for teens to lie about their age as well.