Republican lawmakers recently introduced legislation aimed at increasing federal control over certain tech platforms while easing government oversight on artificial intelligence (AI). The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee’s budget reconciliation bill, introduced Tuesday, would empower the federal government to update IT systems and use AI at the Commerce Department. It also proposes a ten-year pause on states enforcing AI regulations to foster growth and research in the American AI market. Although some politicians express skepticism about AI, the Trump administration has actively promoted AI industry expansion with minimal restrictions. For instance, at the conclusion of President Trump’s Middle East trip, the administration announced a deal with the United Arab Emirates to build a large data center to serve American tech companies. Alongside efforts to protect AI, Republicans have also introduced bills tightening regulations on some tech companies, particularly to enhance online safety for children. Two key bills seek to impose more restrictive rules on tech platforms and their users. On May 8, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), aiming to update the legal definition of obscenity for the internet era. Originally proposed in 2022 and reintroduced this year, IODA has failed to become law previously. It seeks to redefine obscenity by relaxing the existing three-pronged test to include content that appeals to prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion and depicts actual or simulated sexual acts intended to arouse or gratify sexual desires. Unlike current law, IODA would remove the requirement that obscene content be transmitted with intent to harass or abuse, potentially criminalizing any obscene material transmitted through telecommunications. Though lacking bipartisan support and additional cosponsors, IODA has attracted media attention for its language potentially criminalizing pornography under obscenity laws; supporters argue it will help prevent children from accessing explicit content. Presently, social media platforms enjoy "good faith" immunity under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, protecting them from liability for most user-posted content. While IODA does not explicitly clarify who would be held accountable, it aims to create a uniform obscenity definition to facilitate prosecution of such content. Senator Lee remarked, “Obscenity isn’t protected by the First Amendment, but vague legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to permeate American society and reach countless children.

Our bill updates this definition for the internet age so that such content can be removed and its distributors prosecuted. ” Separately, the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) was reintroduced in the Senate on Wednesday. First introduced in 2022 by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn. ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn. ) but stalled, KOSA has been amended to clarify vague wording and passed the Senate in July 2023, though it failed in the House by the end of 2024. KOSA would require social media platforms to eliminate addictive features, grant parents greater control and oversight over their children’s social media use, mandate platforms to mitigate harmful content related to suicide and eating disorders, and increase transparency regarding protective measures for children. Proponents assert the bill would hold platforms legally responsible for hosting harmful content accessible to minors. Opponents caution it could inadvertently restrict LGBTQ content and lead to increased online censorship. Joe Mullin, senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, criticized the bill, stating, “This bill still sets up a censorship regime disguised as a ‘duty of care’ and will suppress lawful, important speech online, especially for young people. ” However, recent amendments narrowed the bill’s scope, removed states’ attorneys general’s prosecutorial powers, and more precisely defined the types of harm platforms must address, leading some opponents to reconsider their stance. KOSA’s reintroduction was supported by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S. D. ) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N. Y. ). The bill previously passed the Senate 91-3 but stalled in the House. It has received backing from Apple, former President Trump, and Elon Musk. Apple’s senior director of government affairs for the Americas, Timothy Powderly, expressed support, emphasizing the importance of keeping children safe online while acknowledging concerns and praising improvements to the bill. He stated, “As longtime advocates of privacy as a fundamental right, we believe these improvements are important steps toward comprehensive privacy legislation ensuring everyone’s right to privacy online. ” Critics of both IODA and KOSA warn that these bills may lead to over-policing of online speech. Social media consultant Matt Navarra, who has advised Google and government agencies, highlighted that KOSA could profoundly impact social media platforms, forcing them to redesign or dismantle addictive features such as recommendation algorithms and notifications, constituting an "algorithmic detox, " especially for teens. Navarra noted that while KOSA introduces a theoretically sound “duty of care, ” in practice, it might cause platforms to over-moderate or remove content to avoid legal risks. He also observed that IODA would further intensify content restrictions, potentially affecting adults’ access to online material. In summary, while Republican-led legislation seeks to regulate tech platforms more strictly, especially concerning children's safety and obscenity definitions, these efforts raise significant debate over censorship, legal accountability, and the future of content moderation and AI oversight in the U. S.