Congress Must Unite to Protect Our Kids
Keeping our kids safe should never be a partisan issue, and our Representatives must put politics aside to fulfill their most fundamental responsibility: protecting America’s kids.
By Lori Schott and Christine McComas
Next week, the House Energy & Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on online harms and the dangers they pose to American children. As mothers who have lost our daughters, Annalee and Grace, to the harms that social media companies enable on their platforms, we know firsthand that this issue is not partisan. Protecting kids online is a moral imperative that demands action from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.
Over the last 20 years, social media platforms have developed some of the most cutting-edge algorithms and features designed to capture and retain attention from their users. With more online users than ever before, social media platforms have evolved into a breeding ground for serious dangers, from cyberbullying to pro-suicide content to sexual exploitation.
A 2022 study found that it took less than three minutes from signing up on TikTok for a user to be serve pro-suicide content. Moreover, 12,500 cases of financial sexploitation were recorded in 2023, many of those incidents occurring on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. These platforms’ unchecked algorithms and lack of oversight make it far too easy for criminals and predators to reach our children.
While tech companies claim they have taken steps to address our concerns, there has been little to no meaningful change in practice. As long as their corporate models prioritize engagement and profits over children’s safety, parents will continue to fight for accountability and viable reporting mechanisms to prevent other families from suffering preventable losses.
This is precisely why bipartisan cooperation is key to advancing protecting kids online with the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Last summer, KOSA passed the Senate with a landslide 91-3 vote—a testament to the overwhelming, bipartisan support for protecting children online.
A lot has changed since last July but no member of Congress can deny, in good faith, that protecting our kids online is not a legislative priority that transcends party politics. Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated that himself last December, promising to get KOSA done early this year. Now is the time to make good on that promise — the House must act and pass KOSA.
Keeping our kids safe should never be a partisan issue, and our Representatives must put politics aside to fulfill their most fundamental responsibility: protecting America’s kids. Families across the country cannot wait any longer for lawmakers to implement common-sense guardrails on social media platforms, just like they do on almost all other consumer products. Every day without KOSA, children's lives are put at risk. It’s time to work together and get the job done.
