On the recordJuly 25, 2024
Mr. President, while there is no doubt our country has greatly benefited from the internet, for some families, it has come at a painful and even tragic cost. Every parent I know is concerned about the online threats directed at our kids. Whether it is predators targeting children or online videos promoting self-harm, risky life choices, or undermining their lack of self-esteem, we all know someone who has had to grapple with the failure of Big Tech to take responsibility for the harms caused by its products. Today, the Senate is beginning to put Big Tech on notice. The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA 2.0, will both help keep children safer online and protect their privacy. I want to thank Senators Blackburn, Blumenthal, Markey, and Cantwell for collaborating with me and my team over the past year to significantly improve both measures. In KOSA, we added an express preemption provision that will help limit the litigation magnet from a patchwork of State laws. We eliminated all FTC rulemaking authority, putting in place guardrails against government overreach. Importantly, we also struck an important balanced approach on the obligation tech companies have with respect to determining whether a user online is a minor in both KOSA and COPPA 2.0.…





