Erik was 12 years old when he died as a result of accidental asphyxiation after participating in the online “Choking Game” (nowadays popularly known as the “Blackout Challenge”) just one day after learning about it. Erik was actively engaged in life at school, in Boy Scouts, and baseball. He had definitive plans for the future, including already corresponding with West Point’s admissions department to ensure he would meet their physical fitness requirements when the time came to apply.

“Through whistleblowers and congressional hearings it has become overwhelmingly clear that Big Tech companies do not care at all about the effects of their products on kids. They are simply incapable of policing themselves because it cuts into their billion-dollar profits, so Congress has a responsibility to police them by passing KOSA.  These business practices have been around since the inception of social media. I would like to think that if KOSA had been in effect way back in 2010 that it might have made a difference in my son's story and that Erik would still be here.”