A bipartisan coalition of more than 30 attorneys general urges Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) this year, saying the bill “establishes better protections for minors online.” I am doing it.
In a letter sent to House and Senate leaders, 32 attorneys general said they were concerned about the negative effects of “heavy use of the Internet” on children.
“We are acutely aware of the threats that minors face on social media. Many social media platforms target minors, resulting in a national youth mental health catastrophe. The letter, led by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scumetti (R), states:
“These platforms make their products addictive to underage users and profit by selling their underage users' data to advertisers,” the letter continued. “These platforms do not disclose the addictive nature of their products or the harm associated with the increased use of social media. Instead, underage users receive endless amounts of tailored and harmful content.”
The letter comes as KOSA faces an uncertain future in the House, with leadership concerned that the bill would censor conservative voices or overstep its authority. It has been announced.
Yellow sand that passed through The Senate voted 91-3. Last summer, it aimed to improve online privacy and safety for children. It aims to regulate the types of features technology and social media companies offer children online, reducing the addictive nature of these platforms and their impact on mental health.
To make KOSA's case, the attorney general pointed to the investigations and lawsuits a number of offices have led against Meta and TikTok for alleged harm to minors.
A dozen states and the District of Columbia filed suit against TikTok last month, accusing it of exploiting and harming young users and “misleading” the public about these risks.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, similarly faces state-sponsored lawsuits alleging that the tech giants intentionally designed and introduced harmful features on their platforms.
The attorney general said Congressional passage of KOSA would require social media platforms to have the strongest safety settings by default and allow children and their parents or guardians to opt out of “the most addictive product features” and algorithmic recommendations. By doing so, he said he would support state-level efforts.
The bill would also give parents new controls to “support their children and identify harmful behaviors” and improve reporting capabilities, state leaders noted.
“This is a significant improvement over the previous version, which did not provide for state enforcement. States can use their existing consumer protection powers to proactively protect children from online dangers. “We have consistently acted on these issues and look forward to further cooperation,” the letter said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), one of the signatories, emphasized that KOSA will help states implement more safeguards as needed.
“Thanks to KOSA, we can establish a foundation of protection for children across the country, but also ensure that states are empowered to introduce broader safeguards for children if necessary. We also need to make sure that we are able to do so,” she said in a release on Monday. “Tackling addictive social media is not a partisan issue. The issue is protecting children and ensuring that government at all levels can act effectively.”
Last summer, James helped push a state bill that would limit “addictive” social media feeds to children after the finish line, and is overseeing the rule-making process for the law to go into effect.
The bill passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee last month, but with only a few weeks left in the lame duck session, lawmakers from both parties expressed problems with its language for a variety of reasons.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told Punch Bowl NewsLast month, he said he likes the concept of KOSA, but the details of the version passed by the Senate are “very problematic.”
On the other hand, some MPs expressed concerns about the wording of KOSA's “duty of care” clause. As written in the Senate version, this provision requires platforms to design and implement features directed toward minors to prevent and reduce harm, including harm caused by content that promotes suicide or eating disorders. will be required.
The House version sent out of committee last month included an amendment that changes this provision.
