Rep. Houchin's bills to protect kids online passes committee

(WASHINGTON, D.C) – Two bills authored by Rep. Erin Houchin (R- District 9) to protect children online passed through committee on Friday. 

The Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act is legislation that would shield minors from obscene content, strengthen parental controls, ban ephemeral messaging for minors, prohibit targeted market research on children, and establish safeguards for online gaming platforms.

The legislation includes the AI Warnings and Resources for Education (AWARE) Act and the Safeguarding Adolescents From Exploitative BOTs (SAFEBOTs) Act which were both authored by Houchin. 

The congresswoman said protecting children online is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed.

“I have visited with parents who have lost their children to the harms of these platforms — and it is clear the current system is not just broken, it’s unhealthy and can be dangerous. Thirteen years old is far too young for kids to be treated as adults in their online lives, but that is the current standard,” Rep. Houchin said. 

RELATED: A local Indiana State Police member recently spoke to Batesville families about human trafficking and the dangers that exist online for kids. Read that story here.

The AWARE Act directs the Federal Trade Commission to develop and make publicly available educational resources for parents, educators, and minors on the risks and benefits of AI chatbot use, privacy and data collection practices, and best practices for keeping children safe when interacting with AI companions.

The SAFEBOTs Act builds on that framework by requiring chatbot providers to clearly disclose to minors when they are interacting with an artificial intelligence system and not a real person. The bill also prohibits AI chatbots from falsely claiming to be licensed professionals such as doctors or therapists, requires crisis hotline information to be provided when a minor raises the topic of suicide or self-harm, and mandates break prompts after extended chatbot sessions. 

The KIDS Act passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday and now advances to the full House of Representatives for consideration.