The US Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping social media safety package that would force tech companies to do more to protect children – the first major legislation targeting Silicon Valley in a generation.
Social media giants such as Meta and X are facing massive political outrage for not putting in place safeguards to prevent online threats to children, including sexual harassment and teen suicide.
In a rare sign of cross-party unity in a fast-paced election year, the Children’s Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) were passed by an overwhelming majority on a bipartisan vote with only three dissents.
But the path of these bills is uncertain in the House of Representatives, where Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has spoken broadly in favor of the package but has not set a date for a vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “I am proud to say today that the Senate has kept its promise to all the parents who have lost a child due to exposure to social media… KOSA and COPPA will probably be the most significant updates to federal laws protecting children on the internet in decades, and this is a very good first step.”
The law was drafted in consultation with parents of teenagers who have been bullied or sexually abused, but has been opposed by some free speech groups who worry it could lead to censorship.
‘duty of care’
Although there is broad agreement in a politically divided Congress on the need to curb the negative effects of social media, there has never been a unified path on how to do so.
House members are on their summer break, and when they return in September, their focus will almost certainly be on averting an impending government shutdown.
But Schumer called on the lower chamber to promptly pass the bills as soon as they return, and urged lawmakers to “take advantage of this opportunity to send them to the president’s desk.”
The KOSA Bill would impose a “duty of care” on online platforms, seeking to impose special provisions to protect minors from toxic content.
The law, backed by Microsoft, X and Snapchat-owner Snap, would require companies to give users a dedicated page to report harmful content – including sexual abuse, online bullying, promotion of suicide and eating disorders.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg publicly apologized to the victims’ families before the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, as opposition lawmakers questioned technology CEOs about the dangers children face on social media.
“I’m sorry for what you’ve all been through,” he said. “No one should have to go through what your families have gone through.”
Fear of censorship
Seven LGBTQ advocacy groups withdrew their initial opposition based on updates to the bill they said would ease concerns that teens would be limited in accessing information about gender identity, sexuality and reproductive health.
But free speech groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have argued that the definition of harm is too broad and could lead to censorship.
COPPA would strengthen privacy standards for Americans under the age of 17, and prohibit advertising targeted at children and teens — including by requiring companies to allow users to delete personal information.
“Too many children are constantly exposed to content related to suicide or substance abuse,” Schumer said. “Too many children have their personal data collected and then used inappropriately.”
“Studies show that kids today spend more time on social media than ever before, so now is the time to pass KOSA, COPPA, and put safeguards in place that protect kids from these risks.”
But Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden posted on X that the changes to KOSA were “inadequate” and feared that a future hard-right Republican administration “could use this bill to pressure companies to censor gay, trans, and reproductive health information.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
