July 30, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday that would regulate tech and social media companies that provide services for minors.
Called the Kids Online Safety Act, the measure would require online platforms and social media to safeguard minors by restricting access to their personal data.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney was one of 72 senators (36 Republicans, 35 Democrats, 1 Independent) to sign on as co-sponsors to the act, sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn..
Utah Sen. Mike Lee was one of three senators to vote against the act. The others were Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky.
See Lee’s statement at the end of this story.
President Joe Biden released a statement on the act Tuesday.
“There is undeniable evidence that social media and other online platforms contribute to our youth mental health crisis,” he said in the online statement.
“It is past time to act,” Biden said. “We need action by Congress to protect our kids online and hold big tech accountable for the national experiment they are running on our children for profit.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the proposed act would not block content but instead creates a safe-by-design online environment for children and minors.
The measure would ensure parents have the tools needed to supervise their children’s online use, including controlling their account and privacy settings.
The proposed act also would limit available features used by online platforms and social media to encourage use by kids, such as rewarding them for spending more time online and sending notifications to encourage for respective sites or social media.
Romney also released a statement.
“Social media is making our young people more vulnerable to cyberbullying, addiction, and long-term mental health challenges,” he wrote in a news release. “Social media companies have failed to institute measures to adequately protect children and teenagers from these hazards, and we have little indication that things will change without legislative action.
“With the passage of this legislation, we are taking strong strides toward better protecting our youth from the harmful effects that come with being online.”
The Senate voted 91-3 to approve the act and send it to the House of Representatives for consideration when that legislative body reconvenes in September.
Lee shared a statement on X regarding his opposition of the Act, which he said opens “the door to political censorship by the federal government. I cannot support it.”
Find Lee’s full statement below.
