Forty-five state attorneys general told Congress this week which version of the Kids Online Safety Act they want. Australia's under-16 social media ban had its first big day in the country's highest court, and New Brunswick proposed refunds and fines when apps pressure kids into buying things. Here is what each source says.
1. 45 Attorneys General Back the Senate's Kids Online Safety Act Over the House Version
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Nov. 4 that he joined a bipartisan group of 45 attorneys general reaffirming support for the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), S. 1748. The bill would create a "duty of care" that makes social media companies responsible for preventing and reducing harm to users under 18. The attorneys general prefer it to the House bill, H.R. 6484, which Bonta says has "harmful preemption language" that could stop states from enforcing stronger kids' online safety laws of their own. California's own laws include its 2024 law limiting addictive feeds for minors without parental consent (SB 976) and its social media warning-label law (AB 56). The coalition was led by the attorneys general of Hawaii, Ohio, Tennessee and Connecticut.
What it means for families: Neither bill is law yet. The fight is over whether a federal law would set a floor that states can build on, or replace tougher state rules.
Source: California Department of Justice
2. Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Faces Its First Big Test in the High Court
Australia's High Court began hearing a joint challenge to the country's social media minimum-age law on Nov. 3, ABC News reported, with hearings set for Tuesday and Wednesday. The law took effect in December 2025. It requires 10 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit and Twitch, to take reasonable steps to keep Australians under 16 from having accounts. ABC said nearly 5 million accounts have been blocked since then. Reddit and the advocacy group Digital Freedom Project argue the ban is unconstitutional because it burdens the implied freedom of political communication and shuts young people out of civic life. The federal government says the burden is modest and justified to protect children from harm. Reddit says it will keep complying while the case goes on.
What it means for families: Groups from the U.K. and U.S., including NetChoice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, asked to be heard as friends of the court, so the ruling will be watched well beyond Australia. Nothing changes for Australian families until the court decides.
Source: ABC News (Australia)
3. New Brunswick Proposes Refunds and Fines When Apps Pressure Kids to Buy
New Brunswick's justice minister, Rob McKee, introduced the Young Consumers in Digital Markets Act on Nov. 3, CBC News reported. It would protect young people under 16 who are misled into buying things online. The province's Financial and Consumer Services Commission could get families refunds or cancel charges it finds unfair. Companies could face fines of up to $5 million and jail time. Violations would include pressuring kids to buy and using ads to unfairly influence them. The bill covers digital goods, apps, software, music, AI and social media platforms. It would apply to companies with no office in Canada, McKee said. The bill doesn't give the commission power to moderate or ban content.
What it means for families: In-app purchases in kids' games are a common surprise on a parent's card bill. If this passes, New Brunswick families would have a government office to complain to instead of chasing the app store.
Source: CBC News
4. Romania's Senate Advances an Under-15 Social Media Ban
Romania's Senate adopted a bill on Nov. 2 that would bar children under 15 from social networks, ID Tech reported. It passed tacitly when the Senate's deadline to vote ran out, and it now goes to the Chamber of Deputies, which has the final say. Platforms would have to verify ages with methods recognized at the EU level, and a user simply stating an age would not be enough. Teens 15 to 18 would get age-appropriate settings switched on by default. For all users under 18, accounts would be private by default, with targeted ads based on profiling turned off and messages limited to approved contacts.
What it means for families: More countries are moving from parental-control tips to legal age limits. Rules like private-by-default accounts are settings any family can switch on today.
Source: ID Tech
More on kids and screens: what parents should know about the Roblox lawsuits and Mexico's all-day school phone ban.
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