Should Congress regulate kids' social media use?

Awaiting Vote
Bill Summary

This bill seeks to protect minors on social media by requiring digital platforms to provide tools that allow parents to limit their kids’ screen time, disable addictive features, and opt out of algorithmic recommendations. Additionally, social media platforms must act in the “best interests” of minors, including regulating potentially harmful content like mention of suicide, eating disorders, and sexual material. Furthermore, this bill shares platforms’ data with researchers so they can better understand the effects of social media on child mental health. Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Republican, Tennessee
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Opponents say

•    "KOSA compounds nationwide attacks on young peoples’ right to learn and access information, on and offline. As state legislatures and school boards across the country impose book bans and classroom censorship laws, the last thing students and parents need is another act of government censorship deciding which educational resources are appropriate for their families. The House must block this dangerous bill before it’s too late." Source: Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the ACLU


•    "After months of negotiations, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has been improved, thanks to hard work by Commerce Chair Cantwell and Leader Schumer. The changes that I, LGBTQ+ advocates, parents, student activists, civil rights groups and others have fought for over the last two years have made it less likely that the bill can be used as a tool for MAGA extremists to wage war on legal and essential information to teens. I thank all of the advocates, parents, young people and concerned citizens that have raised their views about KOSA with me, both in support of the bill and with concern about its implications. I strongly support elements of this bill, especially Senator Markey’s Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, which will safeguard the personal information of young people online. Provisions regulating addictive design elements used by platforms to keep young people hooked are valuable safeguards that will make tech products safer. Unfortunately, KOSA’s improvements, while constructive, remain insufficient. I fear this bill could be used to sue services that offer privacy-enhancing technologies like encryption or anonymity features that are essential to young people’s ability to communicate securely and privately without being spied on by predators online. I also take seriously concerns voiced by the American Civil Liberties Union, Fight for the Future, and LGBTQ+ teens and advocates that a future MAGA administration could still use this bill to pressure companies to censor gay, trans and reproductive health information." Source: Sen. Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) 


•    "Lawmakers who support KOSA today are choosing to trust the current administration, and future administrations, to define what youth—and to some degree, all of us—should be allowed to read online. KOSA will not make kids safer. It will make the internet more dangerous for anyone who relies on it to learn, connect, or speak freely. Lawmakers should reject it, and fast." Source: Joe Mullin, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

Proponents say

•    "I have been a longtime advocate for holding Big Tech accountable for its manipulative algorithms. Consumers deserve more transparency about how these platforms amplify and suppress content, which is why I’m proud to support the Kids Online Safety Act. Senator Blackburn has done a tremendous amount of work to deliver a bill that takes real steps to empower families and mitigate the harm social media can do to children, and I’m grateful for her leadership on the issue." Source: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (Republican, South Dakota) 


•    "Social media platforms promise connectivity, but not without consequences. These platforms pose a serious risk to our children and their futures depend on our willingness to protect them in this digital era. It is past time the federal government updated the rules to help parents protect their children from the mental and physical effects of this epidemic. I am proud to support Senator Blackburn’s Kids Online Safety Act to ensure our children receive the protection they desperately need and deserve." Source: Attorney General Lynn Fitch (Republican, Mississippi) 


•    "Parents understand our children are going to spend time online, but the environment should be safe for them to do so. This legislation will protect our children from watching inappropriate material and individuals with bad intentions." Source: Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (Republican, Louisiana) 


•    "Big Tech companies have failed to keep abhorrent and harmful content away from young users or give parents the tools necessary to keep children safe online. The Kids Online Safety Act is a serious and meaningful step toward empowering parents and protecting our kids from toxic content, bullying, sexual predators, and other online threats. Over the past several months, I am proud to have worked with Sens. Blackburn, Blumenthal, and Cantwell to make improvements to this bipartisan legislation so that it is ready for the Senate floor. As the parent of teenagers, I hope my congressional colleagues will come together to pass this legislation to help address the crises of depression and suicide that children across the country are facing in part because of social media." Source: Sen. Ted Cruz (Republican, Texas)