Statement on Senate Removal of AI State Law Moratorium: A Major Victory for Kids’ Online Safety

Senator Marsha Blackburn’s leadership helped prevent a catastrophic rollback of state protections just when families need them most

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS) applauds the U.S. Senate’s overwhelming bipartisan vote to remove a dangerous moratorium on state laws related to AI and automated decision systems from the Big Beautiful Bill. This provision, which would have blocked states from enforcing nearly any law addressing AI’s impact on children, was a direct threat to ongoing efforts to protect kids online. Its defeat represents a powerful win for grieving families, safety advocates, and the thousands of parents sounding the alarm. The members of ParentsSOS issued the following statement regarding the removal of the AI State Law Moratorium:

“We are especially grateful to Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) for her tireless leadership and bipartisan work with Senator Cantwell to lead an amendment that struck the moratorium from the bill entirely. Their courageous stance helped unite the Senate in a rare 99-1 vote to do the right thing for kids.

The moratorium would have prevented states from acting on real, documented harms: AI companions that isolate children, algorithmic feeds that promote violence and self-harm, and deepfakes used in sextortion schemes. These dangers are not hypothetical. They are harming kids today—and would have only worsened under a federal gag order.

This is a moment of hope, but also a reminder of what families are up against. The moratorium’s quiet inclusion, rushed rewrites, and last-minute collapse show how Big Tech’s reckless influence still looms large in policymaking. But parents and allies are watching—and we will continue to fight for strong, enforceable protections like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) for every child. Congress must now build on this momentum. Let this vote be the beginning, not the end, of legislative action to hold tech companies accountable and keep kids safe online.”

A coalition of more than 130 civil society organizations, including Common Sense Media, Encode AI, Young People’s Alliance, ParentsSOS, among others, made clear in a letter to Congress that the moratorium was an industry giveaway masquerading as child safety policy. Attorneys general from over a dozen states also issued strong opposition, emphasizing that the moratorium would strip states of the ability to enforce vital safeguards against AI-driven harms. Lawmakers listened, and today, kids are safer because of it.