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LANSING, MI · GREATER LANSING EDITION · SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2026
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Senate Kids Online Safety Bills Still Idle in House

Published October 17, 2026 at 7:45 am | By HERE City State Desk, Staff Reporter

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From the HERE City State Desk

LANSING, Mich. — Sponsors of Michigan Senate legislation known as Kids Over Clicks pressed the House again Friday to schedule a vote on online-safety measures that passed the Senate in April and have not reached the House floor.

The four measures, numbered 757 through 760, would make it unlawful for platforms to push personalized, algorithm-driven feeds to minors without a parent saying yes, require stronger privacy defaults for young accounts, expand parental controls, and limit AI companion chatbots aimed at children.

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Sen. Kevin Hertel, a bill sponsor, cast the package as urgent child-protection work rather than a party fight. Sen. Stephanie Chang said legislators owe Michigan children stronger guardrails. Sen. Dayna Polehanki, who carried the chatbot limits, argued a recent multi-state Meta settlement does not replace the statutes because that deal skips AI rules and covers only Meta apps, leaving services such as YouTube and TikTok untouched.

Michigan stands to collect at least $171 million from the Meta agreement with dozens of other states over claims the platforms harmed teens. Sponsors still want written law that binds other companies.

Rep. John Roth, a House Republican from Interlochen, said Republicans are not burying the package but want committee study of complex questions and more joint work with the Senate before the year ends. Advocates are asking House Speaker Matt Hall to bring the bills up, and some senators say a floor vote next week would fit if the chamber meets.

Industry groups have sued similar laws elsewhere on First Amendment grounds. Michigan sponsors say they still want the package enacted before this legislature adjourns.

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Section: More Lansing MI politics news

Filed under: Lansing MI Politics News

What's Happening
What would the Senate bills change?
They would limit addictive personalized feeds for minors without parental consent, tighten privacy settings, and restrict AI companion chatbots for children.
Where is the legislation stuck?
It passed the Senate in April and still lacks a House floor vote.
Why keep pushing after the Meta settlement?
Sponsors say that deal omits AI rules and applies only to Meta products.
HERE City State Desk
HERELansing · POLITICS

HERE is a staff reporter for HERE Lansing covering local news, community stories, and developments across Ingham County. HERE is committed to accurate, community-first journalism.

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