Democratic Project 2029 Unveils “Kids Over Clicks” Blueprint to Ban Social Media for Under-16s and Tighten Online Safety Rules

Project 2029, a Democratic policy group created as a counterweight to the conservative Project 2025, released its first major agenda on June 28, 2026. The “Kids Over Clicks” framework calls for a federal ban on social-media accounts for anyone under 16, a ban on personal cell phones in K-12 schools (with limited exceptions), and a campaign encouraging families to delay children’s first smartphone until age 14. It also seeks “privacy-by-default” settings, “safety-by-design” architecture, and a narrowing of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to remove liability shields for AI-generated content, paid advertisements, illegal material, and platforms that facilitate stalking.

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The proposal arrives as Congress debates the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, a bipartisan package that includes the House’s version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The House plans a fast-track “suspension of the rules” vote, requiring a two-thirds majority. Senate co-authors—Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)—have signaled that the removal of KOSA’s “duty of care” provision, which would obligate platforms to exercise reasonable care for minors, is a nonstarter. Project 2029 aims to shape the upcoming 2028 presidential campaign by presenting child-online safety as a low-polarization issue.

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Project 2029’s executive director Chad Maisel, a former adviser to President Joe Biden and Sen. Cory Booker, leads the effort. The proposal is backed by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D), and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Rishi Bharwani, U.S. Director for Reset Tech and contributor to the framework, helped draft the document. The group cites studies on social-media addiction and frames the ban as a “Big Tobacco moment” for digital platforms.

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• Ban on social-media accounts for users under 16.

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• Prohibition of personal cell phones in schools (with exceptions).

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• Recommendation to postpone children’s first smartphone until age 14.

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• Mandatory “privacy-by-default” and “safety-by-design” for new platforms.

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• Amend Section 230 to allow liability for AI-generated harms, paid ads, illegal content, and stalking-related features.

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Project 2029 argues that delaying exposure to addictive platform designs gives adolescent brains time to develop cognitive defenses. The group likens the approach to age restrictions on nicotine, gambling, and driving, suggesting early protection can reduce risks of eating disorders, suicide, substance misuse, and sexual exploitation linked to online environments.

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Project 2029’s release emphasizes that the federal government has “largely sat on the sidelines” regarding child-online safety, urging Congress to enact “commonsense rules of the road.” Supporters contend that clarifying liability under Section 230 would enable children harmed by chatbots to seek legal redress and incentivize companies to align with the public interest. Senate co-authors have expressed reservations about eliminating the duty-of-care clause, indicating it could stall bipartisan progress.

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Tech watchdog groups and several children-safety organizations have criticized the House version of KOSA for stripping the duty-of-care requirement. Critics argue that a blanket ban could face intense backlash from American tech firms and raise enforcement challenges. Opponents also question the feasibility of nationwide enforcement of school cellphone bans and smartphone-free recommendations.

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The proposal cites international precedents but does not name specific countries adopting under-16 bans, leaving the comparative evidence ambiguous. No quantitative estimates of affected users or projected compliance costs are provided.

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• “This clarification would allow kids who experience chatbot-induced harms to have their day in court and force companies to internalize some of the downstream costs, leading to incentives more aligned with the public interest,” — Project 2029 proposal

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• “buys time for adolescent brains to develop the cognitive defenses needed to navigate platforms built around addictive design.” — Project 2029 proposal

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• “We’re going to see many people running for president … and we want to set the standard in terms of the type of ambition that we want to see when it comes to solving these problems,” — Chad Maisel, Executive Director, Project 2029

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• “Most high-profile political issues are already coded and claimed by one party or the other. Kids’ online safety is the exception,” — Rishi Bharwani, U.S. Director, Reset Tech

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The House is slated to vote on the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act on Monday. If passed, the measure will move to the Senate, where Blumenthal and Blackburn will negotiate language on duty-of-care provisions. Project 2029 plans to release additional policy agendas on healthcare, housing, AI, and immigration ahead of the 2028 election cycle.

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