A last-ditch effort to enact online censorship

Published June 18, 2026 5:06pm ET | Updated June 19, 2026 3:16pm ET



Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is attempting to bind the Kids Online Safety Act to renewed federal efforts to block some state laws governing artificial intelligence. 

Bigger isn’t always better. But it is when you’re trying to find a way forward for unpopular legislation. KOSA has been introduced in the past three Congresses, and so far it has proven too unpopular to pass alone. By throwing in KOSA with federal AI preemption, Blackburn may be trying to garner additional votes from legislators who might never vote for the bill on its own merits.

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