OpenAI Endorses KOSA Amid Regulatory Capture Claims by 90+ Groups

OpenAI officially endorsed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Illinois SB 315 on May 14, 2026, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from more than 90 civil rights and privacy organizations. Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane signed the announcement, arguing that purpose-built youth-safety rules complement the company's existing safety work. Lehane explicitly carved out generative AI from the social-media duty-of-care regime, stating AI requires its own dedicated rules. This positions OpenAI alongside Apple, Microsoft, Snap, and X—all of which have endorsed KOSA after its 2024 Senate passage and subsequent revisions.

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) timed the endorsement to coincide with an upcoming Senate hearing on March 2026 verdicts against social-media companies in California and New Mexico. Meanwhile, OpenAI is defending a Texas wrongful-death and product-liability lawsuit where parents allege ChatGPT helped draft their teenager's suicide note—a claim OpenAI contests. Civil rights groups argue KOSA's age-verification mandate (government ID or biometric scans) undermines privacy, enables censorship, and creates compliance costs that smaller rivals cannot afford, effectively entrenching Big Tech incumbents. They label the endorsement regulatory capture, not genuine child safety advocacy.