The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is a bipartisan bill that would require social media platforms and online services to take real responsibility for protecting minors.
It introduces a duty of care—meaning tech companies would be legally required to design their platforms in ways that reduce the risk of harm to kids and teens. That includes limiting exposure to sexual, violent, or manipulative content, curbing addictive design features like endless scroll, and giving parents meaningful tools to manage what their children see and share online. In short: it’s a legal framework that puts kids’ safety ahead of Silicon Valley’s engagement metrics.
Congress is reintroducing KOSA …again. But while lawmakers continue to debate censorship and free speech, teen testers showed us the real story: privacy settings don’t work—and kids are still being exposed to disturbing, sexual, and manipulative content.
Current Privacy Settings Are NOT a Safety Net
A team of Gen Z testers, part of a youth organization called Design It for Us, recently ran a simple experiment that illustrates the illusion of Instagram’s “privacy controls” According to a Washington post article, they created test accounts for various ages and genders. (As of last year, all accounts used by teens on Insta are supposed to automatically filter out “sensitive” content, including sexual content, mental health and safety).
How well did relying on the platform’s privacy settings work out? (Spoiler: the settings are a placebo).
Some teen account-protection features worked. Instagram made their test accounts private by default, a setting users under 16 can’t change without parental approval. And the app did restrict who could direct message and tag them.
But other protection features worked only for some of the testers. Two of the five didn’t receive reminders to close the app after 60 minutes. One of them received a notification late at night despite a prohibition.
And all the testers flagged one giant problem: The app kept recommending content that appeared to violate Meta’s definition of “sensitive.”
They were still shown:
- Sexually suggestive videos
- Adult men interacting with minors
- Manipulative, predatory content masquerading as “advice”
- Alcohol, drug, hate and other disturbing content
Some of the material showed up within minutes.
Let that sink in: these teens did everything right—and the platform still failed them. What should be crystal clear to every parent is that Instagram’s Teen Accounts can’t be relied upon to actually shield kids. And the danger that the kids face isn’t just bad actors on the internet – it’s also the app’s recommendation algorithm, which decides what your kids see and demonstrates the frightening built-in strategy of taking them in dark directions.
What is the Kids Online Safety Act Designed to Do?
KOSA 2025 would require tech platforms to operate under a “duty of care” to reduce harm to minors.
It targets things like:
- Addictive design (scroll traps, autoplay)
- Targeted ads based on kids’ insecurities
- Exposure to harmful content (e.g. eating disorders, suicide forums, grooming)
- Giving parents more control over what their kids see and share
In short: It’s supposed to prevent exactly what the teens just documented.
Why Hasn’t the Kids Online Safety Act Passed Yet?
In 2024, KOSA passed the Senate by a stunning 91–3 vote—but House leadership stalled it. Why?
Well, some (lobbyists) have fears about censorship and free speech.
Some claimed KOSA could be used to silence conservative voices, so the revised 2025 version:
- Removed any language about content policing
- Blocked regulators from suing based on speech
- Was still supported by Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk
But, as usual, Congress is still arguing, while kids are still at risk.
The Rest of the World Is Moving
While the U.S. dithers, Australia, Utah, and Texas are already implementing laws to curb platform harm. These new regulations aim to:
- Block algorithmic targeting
- Prevent kids from being manipulated for ad revenue
- Put real control in parents’ hands
But as a country, we are way behind—and our kids are paying the price.
Our Take
As a women-led safety organization, we feel strongly that:
✔️ Platforms should be built for safety, not engineered for engagement
✔️ Parents need real tools, not digital smoke and mirrors
✔️ Teens deserve rights, not just empty toggles buried in a settings menu
What Parents Can Do Right Now
Forget the filters for a second—let’s talk real safety.
Start here:
- Ask your teen to walk you through their app privacy settings. (Spoiler: they’re confusing on purpose.)
- Talk about how predators hide in plain sight—using humor, gifts, and shared interests to build trust
- Don’t shame your kid for what they’ve seen. Help them name it, frame it, and avoid it next time
Because our kids shouldn’t be test subjects for tech companies chasing clicks.
—Street Smart Safety