Lauren Feiner

A key committee scheduled a markup of 18 bills, including the revised Kids Online Safety Act, for Thursday. That’s just over a week since holding a hearing to first consider the package. After killing KOSA last year, the House may be trying to leave its mark before the holiday break.

Draft text of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes funding through 2028 for the Protect Our Children Act. The 2008 bill created a nationwide task force of law enforcement agencies skilled in investigating crimes against children facilitated by the internet. Tech industry group NetChoice applauded the provision.

The agency announced a new workshop on January 28th where it will host academics, industry reps, and advocates to discuss age verification. It comes as Congress and many states have weighed or passed laws meant to protect kids online that would require companies to adopt these kinds of technologies.

The court is hearing arguments in a case where it could overturn decades of precedent over the president’s firing of a Federal Trade Commissioner. While conservative justices worry about letting Congress’ authority run wild, liberal justices like Elena Kagan warn of creating “a president with control over everything.”

The brief panic caused by an attempt to shoehorn AI preemption into a must-pass defense bill is over. But this won’t be the last you hear of this. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told reporters “we’re still looking at other places” to work it in, saying there’s still interest.

Some Democrats on the panel and one witness warn that a politicized and weakened Federal Trade Commission could undermine enforcement of any laws passed. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) recalls an earlier hearing derailed by the president’s firing of two Democratic commissioners — the subject of a Supreme Court hearing Monday.

Ahead of the hearing, global head of privacy Hilary Ware shared Apple’s guiding principles for any app store-based age assurance laws with subcommittee leaders. The company may see the writing on the wall as such laws that have swept states are now getting a shot in Congress.

That’s the message from E&C Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), defending the gutting of the duty of care in KOSA. It’s also one of the central tensions playing out in today’s hearing: Could KOSA withstand judicial scrutiny with the duty of care? And can a version without it protect kids?

I’m in the hearing room where House lawmakers are discussing 19 bills they say will make kids safer online. Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) begins by defending the massive rework of KOSA. “Don’t mistake durability for weakness,” he says. I’ll share more updates in the stream below.