ParentsSOS Blasts Cancellation of Full Committee Markup of KOSA
(WASHINGTON, D.C., June 27, 2024) – Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS), an educational initiative formed by bereaved families to combat online harms, issued the following statement in response to the abrupt cancellation of Thursday’s House Energy and Commerce Committee markup on the popular Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA):
"For decades, Congress has been trying to pass comprehensive privacy legislation. If the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) needs more work, it should not hold the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) hostage,” said Maurine Molak, Co-Founder of ParentsSOS and David's Legacy Foundation. “We are heartbroken that the markup of KOSA, which has broad bipartisan support, was canceled at the last minute due to issues with APRA. Our children’s safety should not be sidelined by unrelated legislative hurdles.”
Congress has not passed new legislation to protect children online in more than 25 years, allowing social media platforms to effectively exploit children. The Energy and Commerce Committee’s cancellation of the markup represents a significant setback for families who have suffered the devastating loss of a child due to online harms.
"The delay of KOSA due to issues with another piece of legislation with less bipartisan support is unacceptable,” said Josh Golin, Executive Director of Fairplay and Co-Founder of ParentsSOS. “KOSA needs to move forward now. Holding up this vital legislation because of APRA is irresponsible and puts our children at risk. Energy and Commerce must act immediately to reschedule the markup for KOSA. Our children's safety cannot wait.”
ParentsSOS calls on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to schedule a markup for KOSA immediately after the July 4th recess, regardless of whether APRA is ready for consideration. The welfare of our children and families must take precedence over Big Tech’s profit motives and legislative tactics.
ParentsSOS will continue to provide educational resources and advocate for legislative change to protect children online. For more information about ParentsSOS and its mission, visit https://www.parentssos.org/.
