Sen. Cruz: Today, the Senate Is Beginning to Put Big Tech On Notice

Cruz voices support for KOSA and COPPA 2.0, highlights efforts to improve bills for floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today took to the Senate floor to speak in support of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), two pieces of legislation aimed at protecting children's data online that Sen. Cruz helped lead as the Committee's ranking member and as a cosponsor. Sen. Cruz's speech highlights many of the improvements he advocated for while preparing these bills to be considered on the Senate floor. Sen. Cruz also discussed the need for the Senate to act and pass his other legislative efforts to reduce the physical and emotional dangers threatening many of America's youth on the internet, including his Take It Down Act and Kids Off Social Media Act.

Watch Sen. Cruz's remarks HERE

A transcript of Sen. Cruz's remarks as delivered is included below:

"While there's no doubt our country has greatly benefitted from the internet, for some families, it's come at a painful cost.

"Every parent I know is concerned about the online threats directed at kids. Whether it's predators targeting children or online videos promoting self-harm, risky life choices, or undermining their self-esteem, we all know someone who has had to grapple with the failure of Big Tech to take responsibility for the harms caused by its products.

"Today, the Senate is beginning to put Big Tech on notice. The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA 2.0, will help to keep children safer online and protect their privacy.

"I want to thank Senators Blackburn, Blumenthal, Markey, Cassidy, and Cantwell for collaborating with me and my team over the past year to improve both measures.

"In KOSA we added an express preemption provision that will help limit the litigation magnet from a patchwork of state laws.

"We eliminated all FTC rulemaking authority, putting in place guardrails against government overreach. Importantly, we also struck an important balanced approach on the obligation tech companies have with respect to determining whether an online user is a minor in both KOSA and COPPA 2.0.

"Instead of the current law's age verification approach - an actual knowledge standard that has permitted tech companies to rely on children absurdly claiming to have been born in 1882 -tech companies will now have to bear more responsibility to enforce underage online accounts.

"This update is not a constructive knowledge standard but reflects a balance that puts greater responsibility on tech companies without imposing unfeasible requirements.

"Nearly 30 years after COPPA's passage, the internet has changed, and I believe COPPA 2.0 meets the moment to update that current online privacy issues effectively.

"Congress should continue to build off the specific bipartisan provisions in COPPA 2.0 for children's privacy and enact a comprehensive data privacy bill. I intend to continue that work.

"KOSA and COPPA 2.0 are important first steps in protecting children online, but we are not finished. More work remains.

"Sen. Klobuchar and I have introduced the Take It Down Act, which targets bad actors who use AI to create and publish on social media sites fake, explicit imagery of real people - often teenage girls.

"The Take It Down Act gives them the justice they deserve by criminalizing the spread of so-called revenge porn and requiring Big Tech to remove the images immediately upon notice by the victim.

"Sen. Schatz and I have introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA), which builds upon KOSA by addressing specific harms to children from social media, especially in schools. Big Tech claims users under 13 aren't permitted so KOSMA makes that explicit. It prohibits children under 13 from having social media accounts, stops companies from targeting minors, and requires schools to block social media on federal devices and networks.

"I hope this body will meet parents where they are and say enough is enough - let's also soon pass KOSMA because there's no good reason for an 8-year-old to be on Instagram or a teenager to be doom-scrolling Twitter in the classroom at taxpayers' expense.

"Parents across the country agree: It's time Congress answered the call and hold Big Tech accountable. I'm proud of the work of Republicans and Democrats on and I'm proud of the Senate Commerce Committee has done to bring KOSA and COPPA 2.0 forward and I look to continuing the critically important work of protecting our children online.

"I yield the floor."

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