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Children’s Privacy: The US’s KOSA fight over kids and social media – protection or censorious sleight of hand?

Hard to say who was more dramatic, tech CEOs or the US Senators they were called to account by in a televised hearing. The sparring took place in front of an audience of parents who said their children were harmed or even killed as a result of platform engagement with social media. The proposed law at the center is the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which may have surprised some by garnering endorsements for passage from the likes of Microsoft, X and Snapchat.  But then the question that even many children pose is, “Will KOSA protect children’s privacy, or will it instead be used to keep relevant information from them?” by those who want to censor controversial content.