ParentsSOS Statement in Advance of Pivotal IDC Subcommittee Markup on KOSA

(WASHINGTON, D.C., May 22, 2024) – Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS), an educational initiative formed by bereaved families to combat online harms, issued the following statement in advance of Thursday’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce (IDC) Subcommittee markup on the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA):

"As the IDC Subcommittee prepares to mark up KOSA, it is imperative that lawmakers recognize the urgency to address the mental health crisis exacerbated by online platforms,” said Maurine Molak, ​​Co-Founder of ParentsSOS. “The markup is happening during the last few days of Mental Health Awareness Month. Our leaders can't just talk about mental health; they should actually do something about it. This is a crucial moment for Congress to demonstrate their commitment to the mental health and safety of our children by passing KOSA.”

The families who have experienced the unimaginable pain of losing a child to online harms need Congress to act with the urgency that the mental health crisis requires. By failing to pass new legislation to protect children online for 25 years, Congress has enabled social media platforms' exploitation of children.

For too long, the lack of stringent online safety measures has allowed social media companies to exploit our children, resulting in devastating consequences for families across the nation.

We urge every member of the IDC Subcommittee to prioritize the safety of our children and support KOSA, a bill that is a critical step forward in protecting minors from online harms. It’s time to place the wellbeing of our children and families ahead of Big Tech’s profit motive.

“We have made so much progress on KOSA thanks to the tireless efforts of parents who are determined to ensure no more families experience the heart-wrenching loss of losing a child to social media harms," said Josh Golin, Executive Director of Fairplay and Co-Founder of ParentsSOS. “Every member of the subcommittee faces a critical choice: stand with the courageous parents who are fighting for children everywhere or do Big Tech’s bidding and let the status quo continue.”

We thank Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Congressman Gus Bilirakis for their leadership in advancing this critical legislation and bringing KOSA to markup. This legislative step represents a make or break moment for KOSA, a bipartisan bill with broad bipartisan support designed to impose stringent duties on social media companies to protect minors from online harms. ParentsSOS continues to play a key role in advocating for KOSA, emphasizing the dire need for legislative action to safeguard children in the digital age.

ParentsSOS will continue to provide educational resources and advocate for legislative change to protect children online. For more information about ParentsSOS and their mission, visit https://www.parentssos.org/.