The measure would also require platforms to enable the most privacy- and safety-protecting settings by default for young users and give parents better tools to monitor their children's activities.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) announced Thursday that more than a dozen new members, including Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), announced a new version of the bill with several co-sponsors. ), updated in part to allay long-standing concerns from human rights groups that it could be weaponized to target LGBT youth and suppress online speech.
If passed, it would be the first major consumer privacy and child online safety measure to pass Congress in decades. Despite years of trying to rein in the Silicon Valley giants, Congress has failed to pass any major new internet legislation.
However, even if KOSA were taken up and passed by the Senate, it would not be able to become law without significant new support in the House, leading to disputes between the two chambers over which technical issues to prioritize. However, KOSA has not yet been introduced. Child safety advocates are optimistic that passing the KOSA bill will allow the Senate to apply similar pressure on the House.
“This overwhelming bipartisan support for the Kids Online Safety Act reflects the powerful voices of young people and parents who want Congress to act,” Blumenthal and Blackburn said in a joint statement.
The proposal comes amid growing bipartisan concern that social media platforms are exacerbating mental health issues among children and teens, potentially exposing children to dangerous content online. It attracted attention.
The push has gained key supporters, including President Biden, who endorsed the bill in July and told KOSA: Please pass it. Please pass it. ”
But dozens of human rights, digital rights, and tech industry groups opposed the bill, citing concerns that state enforcement agencies could use the provision to target LGBT youth. and its future is uncertain.
The latest version seeks to address concerns by stripping state attorneys general of key enforcement powers and giving Federal Trade Commission regulators a more central role in overseeing that protection. Blumenthal's office released a letter from more than half a dozen LGBT rights organizations withdrawing their opposition to the bill, citing the changes.
Groups like GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign say the adjustments lawmakers have made to KOSA “significantly increase the risk that it could be exploited to suppress LGBTQ+ resources or suppress young people’s access to online communities.” It will be alleviated.”
The bill already had the support of nearly half of the Senate, but the senators are not sure whether it will be approved by Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, or Schumer, who will have the final say on whether and when to pass the bill. announced new support from key members of Congress, including Mr. on the floor. Senators made the proposal a key focus during recent high-profile hearings on child safety with CEOs of Meta, TikTok and other technology companies.
Senate filibuster rules typically require lawmakers to secure at least 60 votes in the 100-member chamber to pass most bills, a milestone the bill's supporters are currently trying to clear. However, the bill has not passed the House of Representatives, and the path to enactment remains uncertain.
While senators have largely focused on advancing stricter protections for children and youth online, House members have focused on advancing so-called comprehensive data protections for all users, not just children. We are working hard to pass the privacy bill. A key House committee passed a landmark privacy bill in 2022, but progress has since stalled.
Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, whose group advocates for stronger protections for children online and is working closely with the Biden administration, said the House of Representatives “He will join the Senate…or he will be seen as the reason why Congress has failed to spread the Internet.” Healthier and safer for children, teens and families. ”
The impasse between House and Senate leaders has created a regulatory vacuum that state legislatures are trying to fill by passing privacy and child safety bills. But states' child safety efforts have faced numerous legal setbacks, with industry groups winning early legal challenges to impose stricter safety obligations on technology companies and They called for blocking laws that would require parents to sign off on young people's use of social media.
Meanwhile, state officials have launched a series of investigations into whether social media platforms may be harming children by introducing addictive design features, and in October, Facebook This led to a lawsuit against Instagram's parent company, Meta.
Online since Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen published an internal investigation in 2021 that showed the company's platform could exacerbate body image issues for some teenage girls. Efforts to expand child protection in the United States gained momentum. After the revelations, Blumenthal and Blackburn began an investigation that included: Hear from Haugen in a blockbuster session This ultimately led to the creation of KOSA.
Despite dozens of battles in Congress with technology company executives and years of hard-fought battles over the potential dangers of social media, lawmakers on Capitol Hill in recent decades have argued has not passed any significant new measures restricting how users' activities and data are handled by
Lawmakers passed legislation in 2018 that would make tech companies more liable for facilitating sex trafficking online, but they failed to gain support for countless other legislative efforts related to technology.
Another group of senators is asking Congress to consider another bill aimed at making it easier for users to sue tech companies over online child sex images. Senators have indicated that these bills, along with KOSA, could be passed as a single package, but it remains to be seen whether the other proposals have enough support to pass. is not clear.
“With new changes and growing support to strengthen the bill, we should seize this opportunity to take action,” Blumenthal and Blackburn said.