Chris Van Hollen: “I rise in support of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, a bill that includes an amended version of the Kids Online…”

“I rise in support of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, a bill that includes an amended version of the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act. I commend the bill's sponsors, Commerce Chair Cantwell, Leader Schumer, and members like Senator Wyden and the many outside advocates for children, civil rights, and privacy who have helped improve the bill to the version we are voting on today. I also appreciate the parents and students who have shared their experiences with me, particularly those who have turned great pain into advocacy to protect children. While the internet is an invaluable tool for connecting people, disseminating information, and fostering an exchange of ideas, it can also be exploited to spread misinformation, harvest personal data, and prey on society's most vulnerable. The complex landscape can be especially difficult to navigate for young people, who deserve the freedom to access information and express themselves online but can also be subject to bullying, targeting, and privacy violations. I had concerns about the Kids Online Safety Act as originally introduced, particularly provisions that could have permitted political censorship of content and falsely categorized basic information as dangerous or harmful.…”