44 attorneys general call on Congress to reject the KIDS Act
What happenedOn May 27, 2026, a bipartisan coalition of 44 state attorneys general sent a letter to Congress opposing the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act, H.R. 7757). Led by Minnesota AG Keith Ellison and Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond, the coalition argues the bill would preempt stronger state laws and shield tech companies from accountability by replacing the duty-of-care provision found in the Senate's Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The AGs are calling on Congress to pass the Senate version of KOSA instead.
Why it matters to parentsIf the KIDS Act passes in its current form, states like Texas, Indiana, and Nevada that are actively suing Discord and Roblox could lose the legal authority to bring those cases.
Minnesota AG, May 27, 2026
Texas sues Discord, calling it a "hunting ground" for child predators
What happenedTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against Discord on May 22, 2026 in Collin County state district court. The complaint alleges Discord deceived parents about the platform's safety while allowing adults to misrepresent their age and defaulting mature content filters to off rather than on. Paxton cites a Galveston County case in which a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a person she met on Discord and a separate case in which a 15-year-old boy with autism died by suicide after being coerced into sending explicit photos. Texas joins Nevada, Indiana, and New Jersey in active Discord suits.
Why it matters to parentsThe suit requests a court order requiring Discord to flip all safety settings to maximum by default for new accounts and to implement age verification under Texas's SCOPE Act.
Texas Tribune, May 22, 2026
Roblox raises age threshold for social hangouts and roleplay games to 16
What happenedRoblox announced in May 2026 that certain content categories, including social hangout and open-ended roleplay games, now require users to be at least 16. Verification moved from a self-declared birthdate to a government-issued ID or credit-card check. Parents can also now switch off direct messaging entirely for users under 16. A global rollout of new age-tiered accounts begins in early June 2026, bringing content ratings, ongoing game reviews, and tighter parental controls.
Why it matters to parentsThe 13-to-16 age shift for certain game categories closes a gap that allowed younger users into spaces designed for older teens, and the opt-out for direct messaging is a concrete control parents did not previously have.
Wired Parents, May 2026
State AI chatbot laws now extend beyond social media
What happenedIdaho, Oregon, and Washington enacted laws in early 2026 banning AI chatbot operators from allowing their products to claim sentience or initiate sexual conversations with minors. The laws apply to any AI product available in those states. Roughly 300 additional AI-related children's safety bills are pending in state legislatures as of May 2026.
Why it matters to parentsThese are the first laws specifically targeting how AI companions behave with minors, creating legal liability that did not previously exist for products like Character.AI and Snapchat My AI.
MultiState, April 30, 2026
OpenAI expands teen safety protections in ChatGPT
What happenedOpenAI updated its Model Spec to include a set of U18 Principles governing how ChatGPT interacts with users aged 13 to 17. Additions include real-time classifiers that detect and block content related to self-harm, graphic material, and sexualized roleplay; parental controls that let adults set quiet hours, disable voice mode, turn off memory, and remove image generation; and a parent-alert system that sends email, text, and push notifications when a teen's conversation shows signs of imminent self-harm.
Why it matters to parentsThe alert system is the most consequential new feature: parents who link their accounts could receive notification before an at-risk conversation ends.
OpenAI, May 2026