On the recordJuly 25, 2024
Madam President, today, the Senate takes a groundbreaking step towards ensuring our kids' online safety in the age of social media. As we all know, social media has many benefits; but with the benefits also comes risk. Many kids experience relentless online bullying. Kids' private personal data can be collected and used nefariously. Predators can exploit or target kids. And for kids who struggle with mental health, social media can magnify their anguish. I have met with the parents over and over again who have lost children in the flower of their lives because they were manipulated--nefariously, maliciously--by social media. We must stop that. And today, KOSA and COPPA represent something very urgent. These bills will provide the appropriate guardrails necessary to protect kids against online threats. It is not an exaggeration to say these bills would be the most important updates in decades to Federal laws that protect kids on the internet, and it is a very good first step. And we did it with both sides working together, bipartisan, as this body ought to work--and I try to get it to work that way all the time. I want to thank my colleagues who championed these bills: Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn, Markey and Cassidy, Chair Cantwell, Chair Durbin, Senator Klobuchar, and so many others who really led the charge. Once the Senate clears today's procedural vote, KOSA and COPPA will be on a glidepath to final passage early next week. We should not delay a moment more.…





