As the Kids Online Safety Act moves forward, what are its real intentions—and most likely impacts—for Missouri and Kansas?

KOSA, in its current form, is worded in a manner that grants significant enforcement power to state attorneys general. Under the legislation, web platforms—primarily social media networks that are popular among young people—would result in the collective of more sensitive personally identifiable information for minors and adults. The definition used in the Kids Online Safety Act for “covered platforms” happens to include “a social media service, social network, online video game (including education games), a messaging application, video streaming service, or an online platform that connects to the internet and that is used, or is reasonably likely to be used, by a minor.” Critics point out that this is an incredibly broad definition. For example, the free-market R Street Institute argues such a definition serves as “a de facto regulation on the entire internet.”