Legislation to Protect Kids’ Safety and Privacy on Social Media Passes U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2024 —Today, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (S. 2073), putting pressure on the House of Representatives to follow suit when it returns to work in September. Passage of this historic kids' online safety and privacy protection legislation underscores the widespread public demand for action by Congress to protect kids and teens online, an issue that has been a top priority for Common Sense Media for more than a decade.
In response, Common Sense Media Founder and CEO, James P. Steyer, issued the following statement.
"We thank the Senators for taking this crucial and significant step to safeguard the well-being of kids and teens, and we now urge the House of Representatives to take up this bill and pass it when they return in September and send it to the president for his signature. No more delays. This is a bill that almost everyone in Congress can and should get behind. Every day that passes, more children suffer the harmful side effects of products that are designed to addict kids under the guise of engagement, and drive profits at the expense of their mental health. As we have seen in the Senate, this is a bipartisan and popular issue and our kids should no longer be the collateral damage for Big Tech's profits.
"Alongside hundreds of other advocacy organizations and experts, Common Sense has been pushing for years on behalf of children who have experienced the many devastating harms of social media use and have had their personal data exploited. We've backed the update to the federal children's privacy law for 14 years, and the online safety measure since it was introduced in 2021, after Congressional hearings from Big Tech CEOs, whistleblowers, non-profits, parents, and youth. Congress cannot kick the can down the road any longer – now that the Senate has advanced, the House must follow suit and Congress will then and once and for all be able to proudly say that it has finally taken meaningful action to protect America's children, teens, and families."
For more information on the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA), please see this two-pager or read our latest blog post, "Top 5 Myths About Kids' Online Safety Legislation."
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