Senators say they have the votes to push through bill to protect kids online

[KARAH RUCKER]

SOCIAL MEDIA HAS OFTEN BEEN CALLED THE WILD WEST. AND TODAY 56% OF U.S. CHILDREN HAVE ACCOUNTS OF SOME SORT IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. PARENTS, LAWMAKERS AND ACTIVISTS HAVE FOR YEARS CALLED ON THESE PLATFORM TO PROTECT KIDS FROM HARMFUL CONTENT. .

IN JANUARY, TOP SOCIAL MEDIA CEOS WERE SUMMONED TO CAPITOL HILL AND GRILLED BY SENATORS.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC: “You’ve got blood on your hands. You have a product that’s killing people.”

Sen. Dick Durbin. D-IL: “law enforcement identified Snapchat as the pedophile’s go-to sexual exploitation tool”

Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI: “as a collective, your platforms really suck at policing themselves”

[KARAH RUCKER]

CONGRESS HAS LONG THREATENED TO PASS LEGISLATION, AND NOW, THE SENATE SAYS IT HAS ENOUGH VOTES TO PASS THE BIPARTISAN KIDS ONLINE SAFETY ACT.

SENATOR MARSHA BLACKBURN HAS CHAMPIONED THE BILL ALONGSIDE SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL.

SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN – R-TENN.: “IT IS TIME FOR US TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT BIG TECH STOPS LOOKING AT OUR CHILDREN AS THE PRODUCT, AND IT IS TIME THAT WE PUT IN PLACE PROVISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN ONLINE, AND IT IS TIME FOR BIG TECH TO STOP FUNDING ARMIES OF LAWYERS AND LOBBYIST WHO PUSH BACK AGAINST FEDERAL REGULATION IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

IN A JOINT STATEMENT THURSDAY, BLACKBURN AND BLUMENTHAL ANNOUNCED THAT AFTER MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS, THE KIDS ONLINE SAFETY ACT – OR KOSA – HAS MORE THAN 60 BACKERS IN THE SENATE. ENOUGH TO GET IT PAST ANY FILIBUSTERS.

KOSA HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE BEING INTRODUCED IN 2022. ORIGINALLY, DOZENS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND LGBTQ-PLUS GROUPS OPPOSED THE BILL, UNTIL IT WAS UPDATED TO ADDRESS CONCERNS FROM THOSE GROUPS THAT REGULATORS COULD USE THE BILL TO TARGET YOUNG LGBT USERS.

THE BILL HAS SINCE GARNERED SUPPORT FROM SENATOR TED CRUZ THE HEAD REPUBLICAN ON THE COMMERCE COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS SENATE MAJORITY LEADER DEMOCRAT CHUCK SCHUMER WHO DETERMINES WHAT BILLS MAKE IT TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE.

THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS “EXERCISE REASONABLE CARE” TO PREVENT THEIR PRODUCTS FROM CAUSING anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders and suicidal behaviors IN KIDS. ALONG WITH PREVENTING ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS AND BULLYING ON THEIR PLATFORMS.

SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN – R-TENN.:“THE KIDS ONLINE SAFETY ACT WOULD GIVE PARENTS AND KIDS THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

WHILE IT IS CERTAINLY NOT CONGRESS’ FIRST ATTEMPT AT REGULATING BIG TECH COMPANIES, KOSA WOULD BE THE FIRST ONLINE CHILDREN PROTECTION LEGISLATION OR CONSUMER PRIVACY LEGISLATION TO MAKE IT THROUGH A CHAMBER IN DECADES.

WHILE KOSA HAS TRANSFORMED THROUGH MONTHS OF NEGOTIATING TO RECEIVE ENOUGH SUPPORT TO GET THROUGH THE SENATE, IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER IT CAN MAKE IT THROUGH A VOTE ON THE HOUSE FLOOR.

PREVIOUSLY THERE HAS BEEN DISAGREEMENT BY THE TWO CONGRESS CHAMBERS AS TO WHAT ONLINE ISSUES SHOULD BE THEIR TOP PRIORITY, WITH THE HOUSE FOCUSING ITS TIME ON LEGISLATION TO PROTECT DATA-PRIVACY WHILE THE SENATE’S FOCUS HAS BEEN ON PROTECTING KIDS AND TEENS ONLINE.

ADVOCATES FOR KOSA THOUGH ARE OPTIMISTIC, AND SEE SENATE’S SUPPORT FOR THE KIDS ONLINE PROTECTION ACT AS A WAY TO PRESSURE THE HOUSE TO SEND IT TO BIDEN’S DESK FOR HIS SIGNATURE.