Congress, White House Negotiate 3-Bill Online Speech Deal as Age Checks Raise First Amendment Fears
Updated
Updated · fire.org · Jun 9
Congress, White House Negotiate 3-Bill Online Speech Deal as Age Checks Raise First Amendment Fears
1 articles · Updated · fire.org · Jun 9
Summary
$3 federal proposals are reportedly being bundled into a White House-Congress deal that would override some state AI laws and impose new nationwide online speech rules.
The package could include the Senate Kids Online Safety Act, the NO FAKES Act and age-verification mandates, together reshaping platform moderation, anonymity and liability for online content.
Critics say KOSA would pressure platforms to restrict lawful speech and let government influence platform design, while age checks would force users to reveal identity before accessing lawful material.
The NO FAKES Act would create a new right over AI-generated voice and likeness depictions, potentially exposing users, creators, platforms and developers to lawsuits over memes, parody and other protected expression.
The broader fight is whether federal lawmakers centralize control over online speech in exchange for preempting state AI rules, a tradeoff opponents say threatens free expression and privacy.
With big tech backing new AI laws, will online parody and memes survive the crackdown on deepfakes?
As the US government moves to verify age online, is this the end of digital anonymity for everyone?
KOSA, Age Verification, and the Battle for Kids’ Online Safety: Legal, Technical, and Societal Impacts in 2025–2026
Overview
A major legislative effort is underway to address the harms of social media and online platforms on children and teenagers, as well as to regulate artificial intelligence and combat deepfakes. These proposed laws aim to change the online landscape by introducing new content restrictions, safety measures, and age verification requirements. At the federal level, lawmakers are considering packages that combine the tech industry’s push to override state AI laws with stronger protections for children online. This approach could reshape how platforms operate, raising important debates about free speech, privacy, and the balance between federal and state authority.