Kids Online Safety Act Cosponsored by Collins, King Passes the Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King welcomed the Senate passage of bipartisan legislation they cosponsored to better protect kids online. The Kids Online Safety Act will provide kids and parents with new tools to protect minors online, hold Big Tech accountable for harm to kids, and provide transparency into these companies' proprietary algorithms. The bill passed in a vote of 91-3.

"Far too many children across the nation are at risk online. We must ensure that our laws keep up with constantly evolving technology and provide parents with the tools necessary to protect their children," said Senators Collins and King. "We thank the Senate for moving quickly to vote on legislation that will spur tech companies to step up their efforts to protect children, and hope the House passes this bill swiftly. As the technology continues to evolve, this bill will also provide insight into online platform algorithms, aligning with the growing consumer demand for transparency."

The Kids Online Safety Act is strongly supported by a broad coalition of parents who have tragically lost their children or whose kids have been severely harmed by Big Tech, young people who want to regain control over their online lives, and hundreds of advocacy groups and experts who study and see the negative effects of social media firsthand in their communities. The growing group of bill supporters includes the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Nintendo of America, Christian Camp and Conference Association, Microsoft, The Foundation United, Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS), Snap, Street Grace, and X.

Senators Collins and King have been a longstanding advocate of protecting children online. Senator Collins was an original cosponsor for the Stop Enabling sex Traffickers Act that was signed into law in 2018. This law helps federal law enforcement combat criminal activities by shutting down websites that host ads for the heinous crime of sex trafficking, including child sex trafficking. Additionally, Senator King is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Kids off Social Media Act and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act-two pieces of legislation that set safeguards, require transparency reports, and protect children from the non-consensual collection of personal data that could be used to exploit or manipulate them.

The bill text can be found here.

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