Statement from Parents RISE Executive Director Julianna Arnold on Kids Online Safety Act Advancing Out of Senate Commerce Committee
“Today is a pivotal day for children and families who have worked for years for meaningful online safety legislation. Thank you to the Kids Online Safety Act’s original champions, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn, as well as Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell for their leadership on the Senate Commerce Committee in advancing a strong bill.. We also want to thank the full Committee for its bipartisan work in bringing this legislation forward. Too many children are harmed by addictive platform design and engagement-driven algorithms, but today’s progress sends a clear message: children’s safety comes before Big Tech’s profit.
As this bill moves forward, it’s critical that the language passed out of markup remain intact. The provisions empowering parents and school districts to pursue accountability in court, along with those allowing states to enact stronger protections, are essential tools to ensure kids are safe in an evolving tech landscape and companies are transparent with families. Court cases have brought to light how platforms have designed products that harm children and teenagers, and history suggests the tech industry will push to weaken these safeguards. If they succeed, it would undercut the very progress this bill represents.
Children deserve a standalone vote on this lifesaving legislation. Kids’ safety is too important to be conflated with broader tech or AI debates. Parents have waited long enough, and families look forward to working in the weeks ahead to bring this bill to the floor and secure the vote our children deserve. It’s time to pass meaningful protections for every child in America.”