ParentsSOS Calls for Immediate Markup of KOSA Following Key House Committee Hearing

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Today, in the wake of a pivotal House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on children's online safety and data privacy, Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS) urgently calls on Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), to advance the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to a markup session. This critical step is essential to propel the bill through the legislative process without further delay.

Today’s long-overdue hearing underscored the foundational importance of KOSA in protecting our children from the unchecked risks associated with digital exposure. As so many experts in the hearing pointed out, KOSA will require social media platforms to make critical changes to the exploitative design of their products that have proven so harmful to children. This is key to what makes KOSA such a uniquely transformative and protective bill.

“As families who’ve suffered the absolute worst harms that social media causes – the death of a child – we agree with the experts who spoke today that the design of social media algorithms, those that are specifically created to manipulate children for maximum profit, must change in order to keep kids safe” said Maurine Molak, co-founder of ParentsSOS whose son, David, died by suicide at 16 after being mercilessly cyberbullied. “The business model of social media platforms is, quite literally, deadly. KOSA will prohibit Big Tech from operating as usual and it will save lives.”

Now poised for further action, KOSA must not be sidelined. The strong bipartisan support for KOSA, reinforced by compelling testimonies from experts and advocates during the hearing, highlights its crucial role in our national legislative agenda.

"Today's hearing has laid bare the urgent need for legislation that protects young people against social media’ platforms dangerous and even deadly design,” said Josh Golin, Fairplay executive director and ParentsSOS co-founder. “We urge Chair McMorris Rodgers and Ranking Member Pallone to move the life-saving Kids Online Safety Act to markup as soon as possible. Parents can’t wait any longer.”

For more information about ParentsSOS, our educational resources and mission, visit parentssos.org.