WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, The Tech Oversight Project lambasted Speaker Mike Johnson for making clear he’s prioritizing Meta’s $10B data center in his home state over the lives of children by unilaterally blocking the bipartisan, bicameral Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which Meta has fought tooth and nail against. On Fox and Friends, Speaker Johnson was cornered by Steve Doocy and asked to answer for not including KOSA, a bill that garnered over 40 Republican votes in the Senate and is backed by Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Jr., in the latest government funding bill. In response, after scoffing and sputtering, Johnson thanked Meta for their investment in his state.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is talking out of both sides of his mouth because he’s too cowardly to stand up to Meta. If Speaker Johnson gets his way, more Louisiana minors will be contacted by sexual predators and bombarded with Big Tech algorithms that lead them toward depression, eating disorders, and suicide. There are real-world consequences for Johnson’s disgraceful actions, and when push came to shove, he traded away the lives of children to side with Mark Zuckerberg,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project.