On Wednesday's broadcast of CNBC's “Squawk Box,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said he believes the passage of age verification legislation to protect children online was funded by meth. He said he has received backlash from some groups. LGBTQ people need the internet. ”
Khanna said: “There are hundreds of millions of kids on these platforms. There were moms in my office. [who] We've lost kids to online choking challenges because we're getting fentanyl online. Of course, there are video games here that kids get ripped off for. There is something called the Kids Online Safety Act. Only 15 House members support the bill. You have to get over it. The Senate hopes to pass it. ”
After getting into a discussion about why there is a backlash against passing such a bill, Khanna said: …There are groups that are funded by Meta, and I think they make claims that I think are unsubstantiated. They say, “If you’re LGBTQ, you need the internet.” But bullying against LGBTQ kids online is three times more common [more] more so than non-LGBTQ kids. And all the Kids Online Safety Act says is age verification, protect children, make sure there's a standard of harm. So I think this is actually a case where we need to beat the tech lobbyists and get the bill passed. ”
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