Issue One celebrates historic passage of bipartisan kids’ online safety bill in the Senate

Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act in a historic and bipartisan vote. The bill, which combines two pieces of bipartisan legislation — Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) Children’s and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) — directly addresses the harmful social media business model by placing the health, well-being, and privacy of minor users over advertising revenue.

Issue One celebrates the passage of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act with the following statements:

“Today, an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the Senate voted to protect our children and teens from the social media harms that have plagued American families for far too long. The Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act will fundamentally shift the balance of power online from tech executives to American families, and make the internet a safer, healthier place. Thanks to the leadership of Senators Blackburn, Blumenthal, Leader Schumer, and most importantly, all the tireless parent and youth advocates, we are one step closer to enacting historic social media safeguards. It’s now time for the House to follow the Senate’s lead and pass the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act.” – Alix Fraser, director of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media

“As parents, we do everything in our power to protect our kids and keep them safe from harm. But in today’s digital age, our best efforts just aren’t enough. Parents can’t solve this problem alone. My son Carson, like countless others, fell victim to social media’s dangerous online designs which encourage relentless harassment and cruelty. I’ve turned my grief into action so that parents no longer have to endure the pain of losing a child in such a senseless and preventable way. Thank you, Leader Schumer, for standing up to these platforms and prioritizing the well-being of our children. Today is a victory for every American family, and we won’t rest until the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act is the law of the land.” – Kristin Bride, advocate and member of the Council for Responsible Social Media

“For years, Big Tech has used their deep pockets and army of lobbyists to drown out the voices of parents, young people, and concerned citizens who have been calling for commonsense solutions that will hold social media companies accountable. These platforms have directly contributed to a nationwide mental health epidemic among our youth, but tech companies can no longer hide behind failed policies and empty promises. We applaud the Senate for standing up to Big Tech and taking this historic step, and call on Speaker Johnson to follow the Senate’s lead without delay.” – Dick Gephardt (D-MO), former Majority Leader and Council for Responsible Social Media co-chair

“The era of unaccountable Big Tech is coming to an end. Americans across the country have been demanding that Congress pass reasonable safeguards that will protect the safety and privacy of young users, and today, the Senate answered that call. No longer can we allow social media companies to continue tearing families apart by fine-tuning algorithms that keep our youth addicted, anxious, and depressed — robbing them of their social skills and human relationships — all to increase their profitability. We applaud the Senate for passing the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act. Now the House must act to safeguard our children.” – Kerry Healey, former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and Council for Responsible Social Media co-chair