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2026 in review

11 things to watch for in 2027 in kids and AI

A lot of 2026's fights were left half-finished. Congress has two different kids' online safety bills, California's AI toy pause begins on New Year's Day, Europe and the UK are writing age rules, and courts are still deciding whether age checks and chatbot lawsuits stand. Schools that took free AI deals will soon decide whether to pay. This list is what we are watching, why it matters for your family, and the date or signal to look for. We will update it as things move.

We picked pending laws, court cases, product deadlines and research that are scheduled for or likely in 2027, based on reporting checked in October 2026. Checked 2026-10-24. Nobody paid to be here and nothing is an affiliate link.

  1. KOSA vs. the KIDS Act

    Crowell & Moring

    The House passed the KIDS Act without a duty of care; the Senate's KOSA has one. Watch whether the two chambers settle on one bill or let it stall again.

    Watch for: Even a passed bill would take time to take effect.

  2. California's AI toy pause begins Jan. 1

    California SB 867

    Sales of companion chatbot toys for kids under 16 stop in California. Watch for court challenges, toy makers dropping chatbots, and whether other states copy the law.

    Watch for: Online sellers may still ship from elsewhere.

  3. Adam's Law and New York's chatbot rules

    California and New York

    California's SB 1119 brings risk assessments, audits and parent alerts for chatbots used by minors in 2027. New York's companion and toy bills await final action.

    Watch for: Families gain a right to sue under California's law.

  4. Meta's new teen limits, and whether TikTok and YouTube join

    AP

    Watch for two-hour default limits and age checks on Instagram and Facebook, and whether rivals agree to similar terms, which unlocks part of the settlement money.

    Watch for: Defaults only help if teens are on teen accounts.

  5. Chatbot lawsuits head toward trial

    Florida v. OpenAI and others

    Florida's suit and family lawsuits over chatbot harm could force changes to how AI talks with minors. Watch for rulings on whether chatbots count as products.

  6. A safer ChatGPT for Teens, or not

    Common Sense Media

    After its Unacceptable Risk rating, watch whether OpenAI fixes parent alerts and the Study Mode loophole, and whether Google, Meta and others face the same testing.

    Watch for: Retest results may differ by account type.

  7. The EU KIDS Act negotiations

    European Commission

    Lawmakers and member states will debate the under-13 social media ban, parent-managed teen accounts and default-off AI companions. Global apps often apply EU rules everywhere.

  8. The UK's under-16 social media rules

    UK government

    Watch for the final rules after Ofcom's age-verification study, including which apps are covered, how ages are checked and whether overnight curfews make the cut.

  9. Age checks in app stores

    Texas and other states

    Texas's app store age-check law is in force while courts weigh free-speech claims. A ruling could decide whether Apple and Google become the internet's age gate.

    Watch for: Expect more ID and face-scan prompts on family devices.

  10. Free teacher AI deals start to expire

    Anthropic, OpenAI

    Claude for Teachers sign-ups close June 30, 2027, and free ChatGPT for Teachers runs into 2027 or later. Schools will decide whether to pay, switch or drop AI tools.

    Watch for: Ask what happens to student data if the school switches tools.

  11. Better evidence on AI tutors

    NBER researchers

    2026 trials found small gains and pointed to engagement as the bottleneck. Watch for peer-reviewed results and larger trials with younger kids before buying the hype.

    Watch for: Company-run studies are not the same as independent trials.

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