Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) celebrated on Tuesday after the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act with bipartisan support.
Blackburn wrote in a post to the social media platform X that the legislation passing the Senate is “a big step to protect” minor children from online harms, and noted Congress last passed legislation with that goal in 1998, when it passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
In a speech on the Senate floor after the legislation was passed, Blackburn stated that without the legislation, “our kids are basically defenseless.” She added, “That is why the Kids Online Safety Act has moved forward.”
Blackburn explained the legislation was the culmination of bipartisan meetings including parents and principals, and the result is a bill “focused on safety by design.”
“And that’s a change,” Blackburn added. “That will be a change for social media.”
1998 — that was the last year Congress passed a major law to protect children in the virtual space. Since then, a lot has changed.
Today, we are taking a big step to protect them with the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act. pic.twitter.com/4LD9udPnav
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) July 30, 2024
Introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the legislation seeks to “protect minors from online harms” by requiring social media companies “take reasonable measures” to “prevent and mitigate” children from being harmed while using their platforms, including through sexual exploitation or online bullying.
It also would impose “safeguards” that include options to reduce the amount of personally identifying data the technology companies can gather from minor users, offer parents options to monitor and control the privacy of accounts held by their minor children.
The platforms would also be required to disable “addictive product features,” disclose use of “individual-specific advertising to minors,” allow “parents, guardians, minors, and schools to report certain harms,” prevent children from seeing advertisements for products like tobacco and gambling, and require companies to submit annual reports of potential future risks to children.
Internet service providers, email services, schools and education institutions, and other specific entities are exempt under the legislation passed in the Senate.
Earlier this year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed its own legislation that sought to strengthen protections for children from harm on social media.
The Protecting Children from Social Media Act requires social media companies to obtain verified consent from Tennessee parents before minor children can access their platforms. Governor Bill Lee signed it in May, stating that parents should be empowered “with tools to protect their kids online.”
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti will be empowered to bring action against companies for violations after the legislation takes effect on January 1, 2025.
– – –
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal” by Marsha Blackburn.
