Chuck Schumer faces heat as landmark bill to protect kids online stalls in Congress
A landmark bill that would hold Big Tech firms like Meta responsible for online child safety has hit a roadblock in the Senate – and critics are pointing the finger at Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA would impose a legal “duty of care” on social media firms to protect minors from harassment, bullying, anxiety and sex abuse – or face enforcement action by the Federal Trade Commission.The bill has 69 cosponsors across the political spectrum in the Senate, including Schumer and co-lead sponsors Sens.
Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).In a surprising twist, Snap, X and Microsoft broke ranks with the tech industry to say they support the measure.
Meta hasn’t taken a firm public stance on KOSA specifically, though the company has said it supports federal regulation on online safety.When asked about an older version of the bill on Capitol Hill earlier this year, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the company could support it with some changes.Some of the bill’s proponents, including parents whose children were victims of online abuse, remain optimistic that KOSA will become law before the end of the year.
However, others have grown exasperated by Schumer’s failure to schedule a floor vote despite the clear bipartisan support.“I cannot understand why he’s not bringing it to the floor,” said Mary Rodee, a New York resident who lost her 15-year-old son Riley to suicide in 2015 after he was targeted in a sextortion scheme on Facebook.“I just have to keep being like, ‘okay, I guess that’s not the plan.’ But that all seems like it’s a political dog-and-pony show.”Calls to pass the bill gained steam earlier this year after a bombshell Senate hearing in which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued a stunning apology to the families of victims of online child sex abuse.The Facebook and Instagram owner currently faces a federal lawsuit from dozens of states who allege its addictive apps have e...