By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After advancing through a House committee last month, it’s up to House Republicans, who control the chamber, to bring two high-profile, child safety bills to the floor for a vote.
Advocates say the bills would deliver much needed protections for minors on social media and gaming platforms.
“I hope that the House will act as expeditiously as possible,” said Senator Bob Casey (D- PA) during an interview on the bills in late July.
In July, the Senate voted 91 – 3 to pass KOSA and COPPA 2.0, which both aim to keep minors safe online, but take different approaches.
COPPA 2.0 expands existing privacy protections from 13 to 16 years old. KOSA would require social media and online gaming companies to put their most protective settings on by default for minors while also placing a duty of care on the platforms.
“And if they don’t adhere to that duty of care, there’ll be a consequence. They’ll be subjected to investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and those companies can be held accountable,” said Casey.
“Which means that social media and gaming companies will have to protect kids from harmful information and data,” said Ron Kerbs, the CEO of Kidas, a cybersecurity company committed to enhancing online safety for a growing number of young gamers.
“It’s estimated that about 90% of boys, 70% of girls play online,” said Kerbs.
Kerbs says 60% of those minors will be harassed or scammed while playing online before they turn 18.
“We need to provide them safeguarding mechanisms,” said Kerbs.
But opponents say KOSA could restrict access to important information for minors, while giving the federal government a lot of leeway.
“It takes the ability to control our online experiences away from kids, away from their parents, and gives it to the government to decide for the entire country versus deciding on a familial level what is and isn’t okay for that family to see,” said Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Council for the ACLU.
The bills are a priority for several House lawmakers, who will return to Washington mid-November. President Biden has indicated he would sign the bills into law.
