Lawmakers must come together in a bipartisan effort to pass a federal age assurance law that raises the age of Internet adulthood to at least 16 years old and holds apps liable for adhering to it. We have the bills, we’re on the committee of jurisdiction, and we’re committed to working together to make it happen.
Pass a federal age assurance law that raises the age of Internet adulthood to at least 16 and holds apps liable for complying with it.
Occurrences
Social media apps would be blocked for users under 13 based on existing online privacy protection laws, which I’m trying to make a minimum of 16.
introduced the Parents Over Platforms Act to force app stores & developers to protect minors downloading apps on their phones. This legislation puts parents in the driver’s seat for their children’s online experience by creating an age-assurance framework that ensures their children can only download age-appropriate apps through app stores.
The Parents Over Platforms Act would require app stores to provide users’ age ranges so that app developers can create age-appropriate experiences for children online. It would compel app stores to provide parents with a central toolkit to manage their child's online activities.
introduced the Parents Over Platforms Act to force app stores & developers to protect minors downloading apps on their phones
Require app stores to provide users’ age ranges so that app developers can create age-appropriate experiences for children online. Compel app stores to provide parents with a central toolkit to manage their child's online activities. Impose penalties on developers who misuse users’ age information. Prohibit the use of children’s data for targeted advertising.
The Deepfake Liability Act conditions the applicability of Section 230’s liability shield on a platform implementing a duty of care: a set of basic steps that requires companies to be responsive to complaints about cyberstalking and abusive deepfakes. It also amends the definition of “information content provider” in Section 230 to clarify that AI-generated content is not covered by Section 230 protections.
The 16 & Up Social Media Act sets and enforces a minimum age of 16 for social media use, protecting children from these addictive platforms. The 16 & Up Social Media Act : Sets a national age standard of 16: Prohibits covered social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts. Focuses on design features: Applies strictly to platforms that use engagement-driven design features (like infinite scroll and personalized feeds) to target users. It does not regulate content. Ensures privacy and accountability: Mandates the deletion of children's data upon account termination and requires platforms to implement a clear, five-day appeals process for any account closures.
This month, I introduced the 16 & Up Social Media Act with Representative Erin Houchin, a Republican from Indiana and another young parent, to establish a national age standard of 16 for social media platforms. The bill would protect children from infinite scroll, autoplay, push alerts, and personalized feeds designed to keep users hooked.
Evidence
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Latest Action: House - 12/11/2025 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote. The bill status remains Introduced; it has not passed the House, Senate, or become law.
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H.R. 6333, Parents Over Platforms Act, was listed with result 'Final Passage Agreed to, Voice Vote' at the subcommittee markup, indicating committee action but not enactment into law.
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A May 1, 2026 item says lawmakers are seeking to change how Capitol Hill approaches tech regulation and references the broader push around social media liability and child safety, but it does not report enactment of the Parents Over Platforms Act.
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The official bill page lists the latest action as "House - 12/11/2025 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote" and still says "This bill has the status Introduced." The actions overview shows only introduction in the House, with no House passage, Senate passage, or enactment.
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Congress.gov lists Rep. Jake Auchincloss as sponsor of H.R.6333, introduced December 1, 2025. The latest action is December 11, 2025: forwarded by subcommittee to full committee by voice vote. The tracker says: "This bill has the status Introduced."
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The introduced bill requires application distribution providers to collect or estimate age categories and provide developers the technical ability to call an age signal. It defines adults as 18 or older and minors as under 18, and it requires covered-application developers to use commercially reasonable efforts to determine whether a user is an adult or minor.
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The bill makes developers solely liable for correctly identifying whether their apps are covered applications, treats violations as FTC unfair-or-deceptive-practice rule violations, and provides FTC enforcement authority and penalties under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
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The official subcommittee vote summary lists H.R. 6333, Parents Over Platforms Act, sponsored by Reps. Auchincloss and Houchin, with final passage agreed to by voice vote at the December 11, 2025 markup.
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Auchincloss wrote that his Parents Over Platforms Act would require apps providing age-based experiences to abide by an app-store age signal. He said social media would be blocked for users under 13 under current law, which he was trying to make a minimum of 16.
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The article says no major social-media overhaul was on the brink of passing in Congress and identifies Auchincloss as leading House efforts to regulate social platforms. It also reports Rep. Houchin said she contacted Auchincloss after reading his advocacy for an internet age of adulthood of 16 instead of 13.
Assessments
Auchincloss sponsored H.R. 6333, the Parents Over Platforms Act, which closely matches the promised federal age-assurance and app-liability framework and advanced from subcommittee to full committee by voice vote. However, Congress.gov still lists the bill as Introduced, with no House passage, Senate passage, presidential action, or enactment into law. Because the promised outcome was passage of a federal law, the promise has not been delivered, though the sponsorship and subcommittee advancement qualify as a serious legislative effort.
Jake Auchincloss did materially advance the Parents Over Platforms Act, including subcommittee approval and forwarding to full committee, but the bill remains introduced and has not passed the House, Senate, or become law. The promised federal age assurance law was therefore not delivered.
The promised federal age-assurance/liability law has not been enacted. The Parents Over Platforms Act, associated with Auchincloss, advanced from subcommittee to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee by voice vote on December 11, 2025, but it remains short of House passage, Senate passage, and presidential signature. Because Auchincloss is still in federal office and the bill is still pending during the same term context, the outcome is unresolved rather than delivered or never. The subcommittee advancement shows a serious legislative effort, so the effort badge is warranted.