WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Tech Oversight Project issued the following statement after public announcements from Snap and Meta in advance of next week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
“While I’m glad to see a company get off the sidelines and seemingly see the error of their industry’s ways, if Snap is serious about endorsing KOSA, then they can start by implementing the changes that KOSA calls for and lead by example. Evan Spiegel and Snap should also put their muscle behind getting the bill passed,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of the Tech Oversight Project. “We see this announcement, and today’s one from Meta, in a broader context – in advance of a Congressional oversight hearing after years of harm to children and teens. Parents, young people, and advocates are within their right to be more than skeptical of these companies. History will judge them by their actions and what they did or didn’t do to usher in meaningful protections for kids. We need more than just words. We need action, and we need a vote.”