Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to bring a pair of major bills aimed at protecting children online to the floor this week — a move that follows a months-long pressure campaign from victims’ parents.
The two bills — the Children’s Online Safety Act and a bill referred to as COPPA 2.0 — will receive an initial procedural vote as soon as Thursday, Schumer’s office confirmed. A vote on the final passage will occur next week before the Senate’s August recess.
The bills, widely seen as the most consequential blow to Big Tech’s social media platforms in decades, would then require passage in the House of Representatives and the president’s signature to become law.
“It’s been a long and daunting road to pass this potentially life-changing and life-saving bill, but today, we’re a monumental step closer to success,” Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement.
The Senate’s top Democrat added that he was “proud to work hand in hand” with parent advocates to shape legislation that will “better protect our children from the negative dangers of social media and other online platforms.”
Schumer has come under fire from groups such as Fairplay for Kids and Parents for Safe Online Spaces, as The Post reported — with angry critics questioning why the long-delayed vote on KOSA hadn’t happened yet, despite from the bipartisan bill that had 69 supporters in the Senate
Fairplay Executive Director Josh Golin praised Schumer for taking action on the bill and urged the Senate to pass it.
“The Senate has the opportunity to make history by passing the first legislation in 25 years to protect children online,” Golin said in a statement. “Big Tech’s greed and deliberate design choices have helped fuel a mental health crisis and caused the deaths of many children.”
The Child Online Safety Act, or KOSA, would impose a legal “duty of care” on social media firms like Instagram and TikTok to protect minors from harassment, bullying, harassment and sexual abuse — or face enforcement action. by the FTC.
It would also require companies to allow children and their parents to turn off problematic features designed to keep them connected to apps, as well as adhere to other restrictions.
The Children and Adolescent Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, blocks targeted advertising aimed at minor users and will mandate the creation of an “eraser” button on social media sites that allows children and parents to delete information. The bill updates existing legislation that became law in 1998.
While the Internet security bills have broad bipartisan support in the Senate, their path to passage in the House is less certain.
A House version of KOSA has amassed a bipartisan group of at least 34 co-sponsors to date, while a companion bill to COPPA 2.0 has at least 19 co-sponsors.
“Senate passage of the bills on a bipartisan basis will put a lot of pressure on the House,” a source close to the situation told The Post.
In a statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he was “committed to working to find consensus in the House” on the bills.
“I look forward to reviewing the details of the legislation coming out of the Senate,” Johnson said. “Parents should have greater control and the necessary tools to protect their children online.”
Not everyone is convinced that KOSA is the right way to protect children online.
A key opponent in the upper chamber is Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has blocked Schumer’s attempt to move the legislation through a fast-track unanimous approval process, calling the bill government overreach.
Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also opposed the swift passage of KOSA and has sought assurances that KOSA would not weaken Section 230, a controversial statute that shields technology firms from liability for third-party content posted on their platforms, the sources said. Last month’s post.
Elsewhere, digital advocacy group Fight For The Future has referred to KOSA as “dangerous” and argued that it “consists of a ‘blank check for censorship’ that can be used to withhold key sources of support for young people LGBTQ+.
Congressional efforts to crack down on social media platforms intensified after a hearing on Capitol Hill last January in which Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg issued a stunning apology to the families of victims of online abuse.
Leaders from other platforms, including TikTok and Discord, also faced a row at the hearing.
Meta has not yet taken a public stance on KOSA, although the company has said it supports federal regulation on Internet security.
TikTok previously told The Post that “there are a number of potential options that could further the safety of young people online, and we welcome Congress’ participation in that discussion.”
Snapchat, X and Microsoft have broken ranks with the tech industry and publicly supported the bill.
By postal wire
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