U.S. Virgin Islands — On Tuesday, V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea, together with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from around the country, urged Congressional leadership to protect children from online harm and pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
The letter, signed by 40 attorneys general, was circulated to House and Senate leadership in advance of potential consideration of the House version of KOSA, H.R. 6484, which contains expansive preemption language. States have pioneered laws that promote online safety for minors, and attorneys general expressed concern in their letter that the provisions in H.R. 6484 could undermine existing and future state laws designed to protect children online and would limit states’ ability to respond to and address new and emerging online harms.
“Children shouldn’t have to navigate a digital world designed to exploit them,” said Attorney General Rhea. “We need federal laws that protect children online while respecting the important role states play in keeping them safe.”
In the letter, the attorneys general expressed support for the Senate version of KOSA, S. 1748, which includes a key Duty of Care requirement while enhancing and preserving states’ authority to enforce and strengthen online protection for minors.
This push for federal legislation comes as many state attorneys general offices have launched investigations and lawsuits against major social media platforms like Meta and TikTok for their targeting of underage users. The attorneys general emphasized the urgency of Congressional
action as scrutiny of social media companies intensifies and evidence mounts regarding the harmful impact of addictive design features on children and teens.
Attorney General Rhea is sending this letter to Congressional leadership alongside the Attorneys General of the sponsoring states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Ohio, and Tennessee who are joined by American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.
A copy of the complaint is attached here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2025
Sandra Goomansingh
Media Relations Director
(340) 774-5666 ext. 10105
Email: sandra.goomansingh@doj.vi.gov