NEWS: Bipartisan Bill Backed by Sen. Ossoff to Keep Kids Safe Online Passes U.S. Senate

Washington, D.C. - Bipartisan legislation backed by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff to keep Georgia kids safe online and protect their privacy has passed the U.S. Senate.

The Senate recently passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sen. Ossoff that would ban online companies from collecting personal information from users between 13 and 16 years old without their consent, ban companies from using children's personal information for targeted advertising, and enable parents and kids to delete personal information from company platforms.

The bill would also require online platforms to activate the most protective settings for kids by default, providing minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt-out of personalized algorithmic recommendations.

The bipartisan bill now goes to the U.S. House.

"It's essential that we protect children from online predators and protect their privacy from advertisers and social media companies," Sen. Ossoff said. "We brought Senators from both parties together to pass our bipartisan bill that will keep kids safe and protect their privacy."

Sen. Ossoff continues leading efforts in the Senate to protect children online.

In May, Sen. Ossoff's bipartisan REPORT Act with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) became law, which will - for the first time - require websites and social media platforms to report crimes involving Federal trafficking and enticement of children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

In January, Sens. Ossoff and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)'s bipartisan Preventing Child Sex Abuse Act of 2023 was signed into law to strengthen Federal protections against the sexual abuse of children, including online exploitation.

In a December 2023 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Ossoff pressed FBI Director Christopher Wray to address sextortion schemes targeting children online amidst a reported 700% increase in their frequency since 2021 in Georgia.

Click here to read the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act.

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