“But that’s why we’re here today, because we’re not going to let bad legislation with a good title just get across and think somebody’s done something,” – Sen. Cantwell
“The bottom line is that this package has gutted many of the key provisions in the Senate bill necessary to protect kids and their families,” – Sen. Cantwell
SEATTLE, WA / HARTFORD, CT – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), author of the Senate Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) were joined today by families who have suffered devastating losses due to their children’s use of social media. Together, they spoke out against the House Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS) that would gut key online safety protections for children in the Senate KOSA bill, which passed by a vote of 91-3 in 2024. House leaders are expected to attempt to push the package through on suspension early next week.
“That’s why we’re here today, because we’re not going to let bad legislation with a good title just get across and think somebody’s done something. These families have paid dearly, and these companies have got to act more responsibly,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The bottom line is that this package has gutted many of the key provisions in the Senate bill necessary to protect kids and their families, and it is grouped with another set of bills that also fall short of showing what strong safety measures are needed for kids, and instead inserts many studies at a time when our government needs to do more than just study this problem.”
The Senators and the families called on House members to reject the KIDS Act and its weak approach to protecting kids online. The legislation covers fewer online platforms and it requires those platforms to address a narrower set of harms. In addition, the legislation removes the essential duty of care provision in the Senate-passed KOSA and puts in place only vague “reasonable policies” — with no strong standards to make sure platforms are accountable if they don’t redesign addictive algorithms or harmful features. And fully half of the bills in the package just require studies or reports or public awareness campaigns but fail to provide the enforceable rights needed to protect children.
“We’re not going to go with some weak standard,” said Sen. Cantwell. “We are going to go with a law that can be enforced and accountability, and we’re not going with a study, we’re going on with something that holds them accountable”
“I’m worried that [Sen. Cruz] and others may be persuaded by House members that their version is the one that should be passed by the Senate as well as the House, which is why we’re urging House members not to take the bait here, and adhere to the real KOSA,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “No bait and switch, no KOSA ‘lite,’ no abandoning basic principles.”
The House legislation could also stop the state cases that have been successful at holding social media platforms accountable. Many of these cases are being brought under state common law and the current preemption provisions in the bill could be read to wipe those out.
“Let me be clear: the Senate is not interested in having these cases preempted,” said Sen. Cantwell. “We are for a strong federal statute, and we are for states continuing to play a role. These types of cases are so far the only ones successfully holding the platforms accountable for designing dangerous products, and maybe that is why someone has come to the House of Representatives to sneak language in that would get these cases tossed out. We should not make it harder for parents to have to convince a court that they deserve to enter the courtroom and get justice that they deserve.”
The Senators were joined by four families who have suffered the loss of a child due to social media platforms that are designed and engineered to keep kids hooked and feed them content that can cause unbearable harm to young users.
Tricia Maciejewski, mother of Levi. On the last day of summer, Levi was connected to a predator on Instagram. He was 13 years old. Meta provided the predator with his follower and following list, and after they threatened to send his compromising photo to everyone he knew, Levi lost his life as a result of the threat.
“Kids need the strongest protections available,” said Ms. Maciejewski, “They need the safety to be children. No more predators, dangerous content, or the disruption to our homes and our classrooms. Inaction is altering childhood. I always taught my boys, when you know better, you do better. It is time for Congress to do their absolute best for children.”
Lori Schott, mother of Annalee, who died by suicide at the age of 18. After her death, Lori and her husband Avery found video after video of young people sharing – and at times glamorizing – self-harm and self-hate on Annalee’s phone. Many had tens of thousands of likes or more.
“Parents like me will not support the House[‘s] KIDS Act, but we will support the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act,” said Ms. Schott. “The testimony, the internal documents, the whistleblowers and the verdicts have exposed what these companies knew about the risk to children and the choices they made.”
Kristin Bride, mother of Carson, who died by suicide at age 16 after being the victim of vicious cyberbullying by his “Snapchat friends” – high school classmates – who were using the anonymous apps Yolo and LMK on Snapchat to hide their identities. The last search on his phone before Carson ended his life was for hacks to find out the identities of his abusers.
“American families and our Congressional leaders should not accept anything less than the standards in this KOSA, the original Kids Online Safety Act, with its duty of care legally requiring tech companies to put kids’ safety first when designing their products,” said Ms. Bride. “The House KIDS Act is a slap in the face to all the parents who have fought so hard for years to pass meaningful legislation to protect kids online.”
Toney and Brandy Roberts, parents of Englyn, who died by suicide at the age of 14 as she was struggling with her mental health during the COVID lockdown in 2020. After her death, Toney and Brandy found that a friend had sent her a video on Instagram showing a woman participating in a simulated hanging.
“We shouldn’t have to be here today, but I don’t know how many times to tell the stories of our children that are no longer here to hug and to care for other individuals, because believe me, when people say to us, ‘where were the parents?’” said Mr. Roberts. “Hell, we’re still right here, we’re fighting for other families and children not to go through what we’re going through, and we will do it until He calls us home to meet our children.”
Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks is HERE. Video of Sen. Blumenthal’s remarks is HERE. Video of Brandy and Toney Roberts is HERE. Video of Lori Schott is HERE. Video of Kristin Bride is HERE. Video of Tricia Maciejewski is HERE. A transcript is HERE.