Senate Passes Bill To Force Tech Companies To Protect Children

New legislation passed by Congress on Tuesday creates new regulations for technology companies to protect children on their platforms.

The Kids Online Safety Act was passed with broad support in the Senate, with a vote of 91-3. The legislation was encouraged by families that lost children to suicide due to online bullying or harmful content.

This legislation is considered to be one of the first major attempts in many years to make technology companies take more accountability for the content and actions on their platforms.

President Joe Biden showed his support for the bill on social media.

The act requires companies to take steps that prevent children from being harmed and ensure that children’s accounts use the safest settings available. Additionally, companies are responsible for limiting the promotion of self-harm, disordered eating content, bullying or violence, substance abuse content, sexual content and advertising for alcohol or tobacco products.

This requires social media platforms to give children settings that allow them to protect their identity. It also ensures that other users are limited in communicating with children on social media.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) spoke about the legislation and celebrated this step toward online safety.

“This is a good first step, but we have more to go,” Schumer said. 

The legislation was written by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R- Tennessee).

“The legislation is about allowing children, teens and parents “to take back control of their lives online,” Blumenthal said.

Blackburn spoke about the bill at a news conference.

“The message we are sending to big tech is that kids are not your product,” Blackburn said. “Kids are not your profit source.”

The legislation has faced some criticism from technology companies, including Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Their statement said that the law should require children to get parental approval on app stores to download social media apps.