A new online "child safety" bill just passed the House, framed as bad news for privacy because it pushes the country toward mandatory age checks and digital ID.

• The House passed the Kids Act, sold as protecting children online but really about tracking and surveillance.
• It bundles more than a dozen bills, including KOSA, and was rushed through on a fast-track vote.
• It says it won't force age checks, but makes platforms legally liable if they "should have known" a user was a minor — which pushes them to verify ages anyway.
• Big tech isn't fighting it; companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft benefit because sign-ins and age checks mean more data and tracking.
• Over 80 digital-ID-related bills are moving at the state level, most pushed by Republicans, and similar laws are spreading across the UK, EU, Australia, and Canada.

Outlook: The bill now heads to the Senate and likely the president's desk, with more aggressive age-verification and digital-ID laws expected to follow.