More than a dozen Republican state attorneys general have publicly urged Congress not to pass the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, according to a letter released on Tuesday. The legislation would require social media companies such as TikTok and Meta to implement parental controls and restrict how they collect data from minors.
In their letter, the Republican attorneys general said the bill threatens states' ability to enact and enforce their own social media rules. They argued that the federal measure would interfere with progress their offices have made on various technology-related matters.
"The bill not only fails to meaningfully protect kids, but also, imperils the significant progress our jurisdictions have achieved on a wide array of tech issues," the attorneys general wrote.
The document underscores widening differences among Republicans over how best to address online harms to children. One faction, which includes the group of attorneys general and U.S. senators such as Marsha Blackburn and Ted Cruz, expresses support for requiring platforms to take greater responsibility when their services contribute to harms to minors, including conditions cited in the letter such as eating disorders and depression.
On the other side are Republicans in the House who have signaled caution about a broader federal mandate. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie has warned that a more expansive federal bill could invite legal challenges in the courts.
The letter was not exclusively Republican in its signatories. Dozens of Democratic attorneys general also joined the filing, indicating bipartisan interest in the issue but differing views on the proper balance between federal and state regulation. The list of Republican signatories specifically includes attorneys general from Tennessee, Alabama and Utah, all states noted in the letter as having already passed laws that regulate screen time for minors.
The release of the letter makes clear that as lawmakers consider the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, questions about federal preemption, state regulatory authority and the potential for litigation will shape the debate. The split among high-ranking Republican officials - from state attorneys general to senators and House leaders - signals that any final legislative text could be the product of competing priorities over child protection, state powers, and legal defensibility.