Tech Industry Remains Divided Over KOSA in Q3 2025 Lobbying
Apple, Microsoft, Snap and X continue to lead a tech industry push for passage of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) against opponents like Meta, Google, ByteDance and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, according to the latest Senate lobbying numbers.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Privacy Daily provides accurate coverage of newsworthy developments in data protection legislation, regulation, litigation, and enforcement for privacy professionals responsible for ensuring effective organizational data privacy compliance.
Apple officially backed KOSA in May, joining Microsoft, Snap and X in support (see 2505140048). Apple listed KOSA as a lobbying issue for the first time in the second quarter of 2025, reporting $2.3 million in spending. The company reported $2.5 million in Q3, which closed Sep. 30. Senate lobbying figures are typically posted up to a month after the deadline.
X reported spending $190,000 for Q3 in 2025 and 2024, with KOSA listed as a lobbying issue both years. Snap reported $220,000 in Q3 2025 and $140,000 in Q3 2024, with KOSA listed both years. Microsoft reported spending $2.5 million in Q3 2024, with KOSA listed, but its filing for Q3 2025 hasn’t posted.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., co-authors of the Senate version of KOSA, have repeatedly cited the support of Apple, Microsoft, Snap and X, while calling out opposition from Meta and Google. They announced the support of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., with Apple’s backing in May.
There have been mixed signals about KOSA in the House, with Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., saying he wants to move the bill and co-author Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., saying Republicans haven’t focused on the issue (see 2503070054). House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., in March (see 2504290049) said he wants to get bipartisan consensus on kids safety legislation about a month before the House passed the Take It Down Act, which is now law. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., has suggested moving the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) separately from KOSA, which is considered the more controversial of the two pieces of legislation (see 2509160055). The House has been out of session while the Senate has negotiated over government funding.
Meta, Google and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce listed KOSA in filings for Q3 in 2024 and 2025, with total spending virtually flat. Meta reported spending $5.8 million in 2025 and $5.3 million in 2024. Google reported $3.6 million in 2025 and $3.2 in 2024. The U.S. Chamber reported $13.7 million in 2025 and $14.8 million in 2024. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, reported spending $2 million in Q3 2024, but its Q3 2025 filing hasn’t posted.
Other KOSA opponents filing in Q3 2025 include the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Electronic Frontier Foundation. Proponents include Pinterest and the Entertainment Software Association. Comcast and Roblox, which haven’t stated public positions on the bill, listed KOSA as a lobbying issue for Q3 2025.