Growing Momentum for the Kids Online Safety Act: Young, Colleagues Announce Over 60 Cosponsors and Supporters
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in announcing growing Senate support for the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, with a total of 62 senators now cosponsoring the legislation. Following conversations with stakeholders and colleagues, several changes have been made to strengthen the legislation and ensure it becomes law.
“Hoosier parents are concerned about protecting their children online and want social media companies to do more to safeguard their platforms. Our bipartisan bill would require these companies to take new measures to protect children from harmful content and empower parents with additional tools to safeguard their children and protect their personal information. I’m encouraged by the growing support for this legislation, and look forward to voting for it on the Senate floor,” said Senator Young.
“This overwhelming bipartisan support for the Kids Online Safety Act—62 total co-sponsors, Democrats and Republicans—reflects the powerful voices of young people and parents who want Congress to act,” said Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn. “The recent watershed hearing with Big Tech CEOs showcased the urgent need for reform. With new changes to strengthen the bill and growing support, we should seize this moment to take action. We must listen to the kids, parents, experts, and advocates, and finally hold Big Tech accountable by passing the Kids Online Safety Act into law.”
The Kids Online Safety Act would provide kids and parents with better tools to protect themselves online, hold social media companies accountable for harms to kids, and provide transparency into black box algorithms.
The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), with U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Angus King (I-Maine), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) newly cosponsoring the legislation.
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 social media, 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.
The Kids Online Safety Act passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 27, 2023. In close coordination with stakeholders and Congressional colleagues, several changes were made to strengthen the legislation and clarify the language. The updated bill text can be found here.