US House committee reaches bipartisan deal on social media rules for youth
Source: Reuters
June 22, 2026 10:51 AM EDT Updated 2 hours ago
WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders said in a statement on Monday they had reached a bipartisan agreement on legislation requiring social media platforms to provide safeguards and tools for children and parents, a key step in a years-long debate over how to protect children online.
Chairman Brett Guthrie and top committee Democrat Frank Pallone declined to release more specific details about the agreement, but said it would "hold Big Tech accountable."
"We worked across the aisle for many months and have now found common ground on policies to significantly improve the digital environment for kids,” Guthrie and Pallone said in a joint statement. Tech companies are under increasing scrutiny in the U.S. for their effect on youth, with parents and state officials pushing to ban phones from schools to limit access.
The bipartisan agreement also addresses several contentious issues in the debate over social media regulation. The agreement does not include a "duty of care" provision, a spokesperson for committee Republicans said. Such language would require companies to design social media platforms with children's safety in mind. House Democrats and key Senate Republicans such as Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn have long demanded that the "duty of care" provision" be included in any children's online safety legislation, complicating the bill's path forward.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-house-committee-reaches-bipartisan-agreement-youth-social-media-rules-2026-06-22/