WASHINGTON — A bipartisan agreement in the U.S. House of Representatives on legislation aimed at protecting children online has added a new dimension to ongoing negotiations over artificial intelligence regulation, as lawmakers, industry groups and the White House continue debating whether federal rules should override a growing patchwork of state AI laws.
Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced on Monday that they had reached a bipartisan agreement requiring social media platforms to provide safeguards and tools for children and parents. Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, a Republican, and the panel’s top Democrat, Frank Pallone, described the proposal as a compromise intended to improve online safety for minors.
The agreement arrives as lawmakers and administration officials pursue separate negotiations on a broader technology package that could combine children’s online safety measures with legislation addressing artificial intelligence and deepfakes. Several proposals under discussion would establish federal standards for AI while limiting the ability of individual states to regulate certain aspects of the technology.
“We worked across the aisle for many months and have now found common ground on policies to significantly improve the digital environment for kids,” Guthrie and Pallone said in a joint statement announcing the House agreement.
According to congressional aides, the House compromise excludes a controversial “duty of care” provision that would require social media companies to design products with children’s safety as a primary consideration. The omission may ease concerns among some technology companies but could complicate efforts to reconcile the House proposal with Senate-backed versions of children’s safety legislation that include stronger requirements.
The debate has become intertwined with broader AI policy discussions. The White House and several lawmakers have explored linking children’s online safety legislation with measures that would preempt some state AI regulations, an approach supported by parts of the technology industry seeking uniform national standards. Critics, however, have argued that such a move could limit states’ ability to respond to emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Earlier this month, bipartisan House lawmakers released draft legislation that would prohibit states from enacting laws targeting AI model development, while still allowing states to regulate how AI systems are used. The proposal remains under review and has not yet been formally introduced.
Technology companies continue to face growing scrutiny over both AI development and the impact of online platforms on children. Meta and other firms have lobbied lawmakers on provisions related to liability and online safety as Congress weighs multiple competing proposals.
The House children’s safety agreement must still advance through Congress, while separate negotiations on AI legislation remain ongoing. Congressional leaders have not announced a timetable for combining the issues into a single package, and details of any final agreement remain unclear.
