President-elect Trump's allies are pressuring House leaders to pass legislation overhauling how social media companies treat users under 18, with two weeks remaining in this Congress. Therefore, time is limited.
Elon Musk is one of the people in President Trump's orbit pushing the bill, and his company X is participating in discussions about amendments to the bill to alleviate concerns about some of its provisions.
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) overwhelmingly passed the Senate on a 91-3 vote earlier this year. However, the issue stalled in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) both expressed reluctance.
House leaders were concerned that the bill would give too much power to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and could open the door to censorship of certain views.
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Elon Musk is one of Trump's allies who is pushing House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, to bring the Kids Online Safety Act to a House vote. (Getty Images)
“When X testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last January, we committed to working with Congress on child safety legislation. We heard from parents and youth advocates calling for the KOSA Act to further protect free speech while keeping minors safe online. We're proud of the progress we've made,” said Linda, CEO of X. Yaccarino said. he wrote on the platform this weekend.
“We urge Congress and the House of Representatives to pass the Kids Online Safety Act this year.”
“Protecting children should always be our top priority,” Musk wrote in response.
Donald Trump Jr. also argued on Sunday: “We can protect free speech and children from Big Tech at the same time. It's time for House Republicans to quickly pass the Online Safety for Kids Act.”
“KOSA will do the right thing to protect children from dangerous online content while protecting free speech. Let's pass this common sense bill now!” Sarah, former press secretary to President Trump Arkansas Governor Huckabee Sanders agreed.
The bill's sponsors, Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), thanked Musk and Yaccarino in their own statements. .
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“We can protect free speech and children from Big Tech at the same time. It's time for House Republicans to pass the Kids Online Safety Act as soon as possible,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X. (AP Photo/John Rau, File)
“These changes should completely eliminate the false narrative that this bill will be used as a weapon by unelected bureaucrats to censor the American people,” Blackburn and Blumenthal said in a statement. ” he said. “We appreciate that this approval and amendments reflect their publicly stated goal of promoting free speech without fear of censorship. We reiterate our call to pass this bill. It is clear that this bill has overwhelming support from Congress.”
Fox News Digital reached out to both Scalise and Johnson's offices for comment on the latest version of the bill and Trump's allies' push.
When asked last week if a KOSA vote could happen this month, Scalise said: fox news radio“For example, we are still working through some of the issues of empowering unelected officials who are under investigation for abuse of power.”
Johnson told Punchbowl News in October that the details of the bill were “problematic.”
But at least one senior House Republican aide who spoke to FOX News Digital isn't optimistic that much can be done in the final two weeks of Congress' session in Washington this year.
When asked what the chances were for KOSA to get a full House vote this month, an aide bluntly answered “zero” in a text message.
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Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal led the bill in the Senate. (Related news organizations)
FOX News Digital has reached out to Trump's transition team for comment.
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KOSA is one of the most important social media safety bills passed by the Senate in recent years.
This places a responsibility on social media companies to prevent and reduce potential harm that may be caused to users under the age of 17.
The bill would also require platforms to block addictive components for underage users, make it easier for minors to protect their information, and take other measures.
Fox News Radio's Ryan Schmelz contributed to this report.
