Legislators have proceeded regardless. Idaho enacted parental consent and age verification requirements for social media; Missouri advanced similar measures for minors on social media and AI chatbots. At least half of U.S. states have now passed age verification or digital ID laws, beginning with Louisiana's 2022 requirement for adult sites, followed by Texas and Virginia. Federally, H.R. 8250—introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and co-sponsored by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)—would mandate operating system providers verify all users' ages. The House is advancing the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act under Rep. Brett Guthrie, while the Senate passed updates to COPPA 2.0 extending protections to age 17. Greece is planning teen social media bans.
The legislative push reflects post-2022 efforts to close online child safety gaps, initially driven by Republican-led states concerned that self-reported ages are easily falsified. The movement has now become bipartisan at the federal level, though it remains divided over whether privacy risks outweigh child protection benefits. Attorneys should monitor state implementations and federal bills closely: the expert consensus against these systems is substantial and specific, yet enforcement is accelerating despite mounting evidence of both technical failure and breach vulnerability.