Momentum for KOSA grows as House version heads to full committee for consideration
WASHINGTON, DC— Today, the KOSA Coalition applauded the passage of H.R. 7891, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), out of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce. The bipartisan legislation led by Subcommittee Chair Bilirakis (R-FL) and Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Larry Bucshon (R-IN) passed on a voice vote – advancing the House version of KOSA to the full committee for consideration.
The KOSA coalition is made up of national, state, and local organizations from around the country, including parents, youth advocates, medical organizations, tech watchdogs, etc. For a full list of supporting organizations, click here. Below is a statement attributable to the KOSA Coalition:
“This was an important step and a meaningful sign of momentum in providing kids and parents with the safeguards, tools, and transparency they need to protect against serious online threats to children’s health and emotional wellbeing. We are closer than ever to ending the era where tech companies play an outsized role in shaping the world young people live in. We thank Chair McMorris Rodgers, Subcommittee Chair Bilirakis, Ranking Member Schakowsky, and bill sponsors Representatives Castor and Bucshon for heeding the call of parents, young people, health professionals, and advocates, their leadership in holding the markup, and their support for this life-changing legislation. We look forward to continuing to work with the Energy and Commerce Committee toward a vote in early June and with the full Congress to pass this historic and bipartisan legislation.”
Background:
- KOSA requires social media platforms to proactively design their platforms and algorithms with safety and well-being in mind— such as specific mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicidal behaviors, addiction, bullying, sexual exploitation, and the sale of illicit drugs to minors.
- KOSA gives minors tools to restrict the collection and public visibility of their private information.
- KOSA disables addictive product features like autoplay and infinite scroll.
- KOSA allows minors to opt out of manipulative algorithmic recommendations.
- KOSA enables the strongest safety settings by default.
- KOSA holds online platforms accountable through annual, independent auditing
Recent Developments:
- Parents, health professionals, and advocates continued making their voices heard by calling on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to quickly markup KOSA as soon as possible. Yesterday’s markup is a positive step forward in protecting children and putting the onus on social media platforms to develop safe products and algorithms.
- Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount on the Senate. Politico reported that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised grieving parents that he would hold a vote for the filibuster-proof Senate version of the bill within the coming weeks.
- In April, the House version of KOSA was introduced – making the legislation bipartisan and bicameral.