A Critical Step Toward a Safer Digital Environment for Children

Today, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to advance the Kids Online Safety Act. This is a critical step forward toward creating a safer online environment for children and adolescents. KOSA will require companies to improve safety and to protect children online. The evidence shows that children and their parents require action from the companies who build these platforms, to make upstream improvements to support families as they navigate children’s digital lives. Through a robust duty of care and strong protections for children’s mental health, KOSA addresses many of the design choices that research increasingly tells us can affect young people’s health and well-being.

We’re grateful to Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal for their longstanding commitment to this issue, and to Chairman Cruz and Senator Cantwell, and members of the committee, for moving this important bill forward. Preserving these protections as the legislation moves through the Senate is essential. Children deserve legislation that reflects the best available evidence and will protect their health, safety, privacy, and healthy development online. We urge the Senate to bring this strong version of KOSA to a full floor vote as soon as possible.