By: Laura Soukkavong
HARTFORD, Conn. — Forty-five state and territorial attorneys general are pressing Congress to pass sweeping online safety legislation for children and teenagers, arguing that even a recently announced $17 billion settlement with Meta cannot establish protections across the entire technology industry.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined the attorneys general of Hawaii, Ohio and Tennessee in leading the bipartisan appeal, announced Nov. 4. The coalition is urging congressional leaders to advance the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act, Senate Bill 1748, which would establish minimum safety standards for social media and gaming platforms.
The proposal would also preserve states’ authority to pass and enforce their own laws addressing online harms to children, according to the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.
The renewed push comes after the announcement of a $17 billion multistate settlement with Meta. Under the agreement described by the attorneys general, Meta must introduce safeguards for users younger than 18 on Facebook and Instagram, including daily time limits, nighttime-use restrictions, stronger anti-bullying protections, limits on certain potentially harmful content and expanded parental controls.
The attorneys general argue that restrictions imposed on one company through a legal settlement cannot guarantee similar protections on other platforms. They are calling for federal standards that would apply more broadly and remain in place as technology changes.
“For years, Big Tech exploited our children for maximum profit, and it took a lawsuit to force Meta to adopt commonsense safeguards. TikTok, SnapChat, YouTube and others know they are next. But litigation is never the first and best policy solution. We need Congress to step up and adopt the strong, enforceable protections and accountability standards for kids online, championed by Connecticut’s own Senator Richard Blumenthal. And whatever Congress adopts must leave room for states like Connecticut to be aggressive and proactive in adopting our own laws in the face of new threats and ever-evolving technology,” Tong said in the official announcement.
A central provision highlighted by the coalition is KOSA’s proposed Duty of Care, which the attorneys general say would create an ongoing safety obligation for social media and gaming platforms. They argue the provision would reach beyond the terms of any one company’s settlement and adapt as platform designs and features evolve.
The attorneys general have investigated major social media companies since 2021 over concerns about features they allege encourage addictive use and harm young people’s mental health. Those investigations led to lawsuits against Meta and other companies. The allegations in those cases should not be treated as findings against every platform.
The letter was led by Tong, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. It was supported by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The letter urges congressional action; it does not mean the Kids Online Safety Act has passed or that its proposed requirements are already in effect.
Source: Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, Nov. 4, 2026.