Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Guthrie, who has done a fabulous job of shepherding this through the Committee on Energy and Commerce in a bipartisan manner.

Protecting children and teens online is one of the most urgent responsibilities we face as policymakers. As digital platforms become central to how young people learn, communicate, innovate, and navigate the world, we must ensure that these spaces are safe, transparent, and designed with their well-being as the driving priority.

My bill, the SPY Kids Act, included in title II of the KIDS Act, takes an important step toward that goal by prohibiting online platforms from conducting market research or product-focused research on children under 13 and by requiring verifiable parental consent before such research can be conducted on teenagers.

The bill applies to user-generated content platforms that use engagement-driven design features and personal data to tailor ads or recommendations, such as social media companies and social gaming platforms.

This legislation matters because the online environment our kids encounter today is fundamentally different from anything previous generations experienced.

Platforms are engineered to capture attention, collect sensitive information, shape behavior, force content, and it is in ways that young users may not recognize or be able to navigate safely.

Children and teens should not be profiled, studied, or targeted for commercial advantage, especially without parental oversight.

By limiting how platforms can analyze and monetize minors' data, the SPY Kids Act helps reduce the risk of manipulative marketing practices, strengthens privacy protections, and reinforces the principle that the well-being of America's youth must come before the business models of technology companies.

Our goal is simple: to build an online ecosystem where children can grow, learn, innovate, and connect without being exploited in the process.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill.

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