Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Congressional leaders, along with X owner Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr., to support the landmark bill and ensure kids' online safety by the end of the year. urged that the law be passed.
The bill, also known as KOSA, would impose a legal “duty of care” on social media apps to ensure they protect children from sexual abuse, drug addiction, and dangerous stunts that can lead to injury or death. is. The bill is widely seen as the most significant legislation to regulate Big Tech in decades.
Governor Sanders, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, described KOSA as a “common sense step in the right direction that preserves free speech,” while also saying that the It also noted an alarming spike in suicide and self-harm. App.
The governor is House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Minority Leader He outlined his arguments in a letter Thursday to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). .), obtained exclusively by The Post.
The newspaper asked lawmakers for comment.
The letter from Sanders, who served as White House press secretary during President Trump's first term, comes at a critical time for the bill's supporters. Congress has only a few days left to pass KOSA before the end of this session.
The bill has overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, passed by a 91-3 vote last July, but some Republicans say it could be used to enable censorship. There have been concerns among executives and an impasse in the House since then.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has yet to schedule a floor vote on the bill, throwing cold water on the idea of passing it before the end of the year. he told Politico last week.: “I think we can achieve that early next year and get that done.”
Sanders is pushing for a “phone ban” in Arkansas schools, and recently worked with Jonathan, author of “An Anxious Generation” and avid supporter of KOSA, to inform teachers and parents of the risk of infection. -He said he invited Dr. Hite on a statewide tour. Social media on child development.
“America has experimented with unlimited use of social media on our children, and the results of that experiment are clear: This is an unmitigated disaster,” Governor Sanders wrote in a Thursday letter obtained by the Post. said. “We need to reverse these worrying trends and protect children online.”
“We urge you to act quickly to pass KOSA by the end of the year and protect our children,” she added.
“These companies spend millions of dollars lobbying against legislation that would put common-sense safeguards on their platforms, and millions more states are taking precautions to protect children. “We are suing the states of Arkansas and others,” Sanders wrote. “It's time for the federal government to solve this national problem.”
Last week, KOSA gained key allies in Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino. He said he worked with the bill's co-authors to make adjustments to “further protect free speech while keeping minors safe online.”
“Protecting children should always be our top priority,” said Musk, a major donor and adviser to President Trump.
The lead co-sponsors of the Senate version of KOSA, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), said X's support “removed the false impression that this bill would be weaponized.” Such statements should be completely eliminated.” Unelected bureaucrats censor Americans. ”
Trump Jr. elsewhere supported the bill, writing, “We can protect free speech and our children from Big Tech at the same time.”
As the Post reported, Big Tech supporters are fighting unreservedly to kill the bill, tailoring their message about KOSA depending on which constituency they are trying to influence. It is expanding.
Lobbyists told House Republicans that it could be used as a weapon against conservative speech, and told Democrats that it was “anti-LGBTQ+” and could restrict pro-choice speech. It is claimed that there is.
Google and Meta have spent millions trying to defeat or weaken the bill.
