The coalition warns that the KIDS Act would broadly preempt state laws addressing online harms to minors, including social media harms, obscenity, social gaming platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots.
Source: N.M. Department of Justice
Albuquerque, NM – Attorney General Raúl Torrez today, as part of a coalition of 43 attorneys general, signed a letter opposing the federal Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), arguing the bill would weaken states’ ability to protect children online while insulating Big Tech from accountability. The coalition is instead urging that Congress advance legislation that includes a meaningful duty of care requirement for online platforms.
“Keeping children safe online is a top priority for my office, and we must use every available tool to get the job done,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “The KIDS Act falls short because it limits states’ ability to hold Big Tech companies accountable while failing to provide the meaningful protections children need online. We support the Senate version of KOSA because it includes a strong Duty of Care requirement that puts the responsibility on online platforms to act in the best interests of minors and preserves the authority of states to enforce stronger protections for kids and teens.”
The coalition warns that the KIDS Act would broadly preempt state laws addressing online harms to minors, including social media harms, obscenity, social gaming platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots.
Additionally, the coalition expressed support for the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which includes a key Duty of Care provision requiring online platforms to act in the best interests of minors while preserving states’ authority to enforce stronger protections for children and teens.
The letter comes as the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) concluded testimony in phase two of the trial against Meta on Friday. Following a landmark victory against Meta in phase one of the trial in March, the State is requesting the judge order various forms of injunctive relief that will help keep kids safe online.
New Mexico joins the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Hawaii, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The letter is being sent to Congressional leadership, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
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