Senators and parents are increasing pressure on House lawmakers this week to move forward with legislation aimed at enhancing children’s digital safety and privacy as a House committee prepares to mark up the bill on Wednesday. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), co-author of the Kids Safety Online Act (KOSA), initiated these efforts on Monday morning despite the obstacles and GOP resistance the bill is facing in the House. Parents, some of whom have experienced the loss or harm of their children due to social media, are also urging lawmakers to take action. Many will be visiting Capitol Hill this week to meet with legislators.
While the House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced that they will mark up KOSA on Wednesday, passing the bill in its current form is expected to be challenging. Some Republican members have raised concerns about the bill’s constitutionality, the broad authority it grants the Federal Trade Commission to regulate speech, and the potential for censorship of conservative viewpoints.
Blackburn emphasized the urgency of passing the Kids Online Safety Act, highlighting the importance of requiring social media platforms to prioritize safety and implement features to protect minors from harmful content. KOSA was approved in the Senate with overwhelming support in July, alongside the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Action Act (COPPA 2.0), which includes measures to enhance data privacy for teens and kids online.
Despite bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill still faces hurdles in the House. Advocacy groups and concerned parents are lobbying for the swift passage of KOSA, emphasizing the real-world impact of online harms on young people. The tech industry’s efforts to influence lawmakers and spread misinformation about the bill are being countered by advocates who are focused on protecting children online. “Y para sacar esto de lo hipotético y pasarlo a lo real y trágico, porque eso es lo que están viviendo todos los días.”
La presidenta de NPU, Keri Rodrigues, confirmó que su organización también enviará padres al Capitolio.
“Estamos buscando una rápida acción de la Cámara de Representantes, así que vamos a visitar todas las oficinas de la Cámara para asegurarnos de que escuchen claramente, que los padres son categóricos en este tema, y que esperamos que igualen la energía del Senado y logren esto”, dijo.
La Alianza de Jóvenes (YPA), una organización sin fines de lucro de defensa de la juventud, tiene más de una docena de reuniones planeadas con legisladores y personal bipartidista, incluidos algunos en posiciones de liderazgo, dijo la directora de defensa de YPA, Ava Smithing, a The Hill.
Smithing enfatizó la importancia de tener representantes jóvenes en el Capitolio para estas reuniones.
Todos los representantes de YPA tienen menos de 24 años, dijo Smithing.
“Creo que es realmente fácil para las empresas tecnológicas y las personas con intereses separados que dicen, los jóvenes sienten esto, o los jóvenes no quieren esto, pero en realidad, las únicas personas que pueden responder esas preguntas y liderar realmente el cambio de lo que quieren son esos jóvenes”, dijo.
Emily Brooks contribuyó.
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