Mothers’ Views on the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA)
December 15, 2023
In-depth

In 2023, Count on Mothers conducted three studies on two landmark federal bills addressing children's safety on social media: the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Drawing on surveys of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, supplemented by an in-depth focus group, the studies captured firsthand views on minimum age requirements, algorithmic protections, data privacy, parental notification, and independent oversight of social media companies. Mothers showed near-universal cross-partisan support for both bills — with 96% saying KOSMA should become law and 98% supporting federal requirements to protect minors' data and remove addictive features. A consistent theme emerged: mothers view these bills not as a replacement for parental involvement, but as a structural safeguard for spaces families cannot monitor alone.

Related themes:

Shared Priorities and Cross-Partisan Alignment Among Mothers

Family Economic Security and Cost Pressures

  • 96% of mothers say KOSMA should become law, including 100% of very conservative and 95% of very liberal mothers.
  • 98% support federal KOSA requirements for social media companies to protect minors' data, remove addictive features, and provide opt-out options.
  • 93% support a minimum age of 13 for social media — with 100% support from very conservative mothers and 91% from very liberal.
  • 96% support yearly independent audits of social media companies to evaluate risk to minors and compliance with the law.
  • 97% support federal mandates to prevent and reduce harm to minors, including suicide prevention and protection from sexual exploitation.
  • Mothers support these bills as structural safeguards, not parental replacements. Across political ideology, mothers look to government — not individual families — to hold social media companies accountable.

    • Source: Count on Mothers, Mothers' Views on the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA), December 2023. Community panel surveys of U.S. mothers (n=318 on KOSMA, June 2023; n=263 on KOSA, October–November 2023) and a focus group with seven mothers across the political spectrum (November 2023). Research led by a PhD-credentialed researcher. Findings entered into the Congressional Record at the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on child online safety, January 31, 2024.

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