Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) announced her support Tuesday for the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), joining a growing coalition of senators pushing for stronger protections for children online.
Moody’s announcement aligns her with U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the critical legislation.
KOSA aims to provide young people and parents with essential tools, safeguards, and transparency to combat online harms. The bill mandates that social media platforms prioritize the well-being of children by creating environments that are safe by default.
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Senator Moody, a vocal advocate for child online safety since her tenure as Florida’s Attorney General, emphasized her personal connection to the issue. “Since my time as the Attorney General of Florida, fighting back against Big Tech’s influence on our children has been one of my top priorities,” said Senator Moody. “As a mother, I know firsthand just how addictive some of the features and algorithms can be to our children, how simply our children can access unsafe material and how easily these companies can use our children’s information to make the apps even more addictive. Predators are currently using the internet to target our kids by exposing them to dangerous substances or age-inappropriate content through social media platforms—it cannot continue.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn echoed these concerns, highlighting the repeated failure of “Big Tech platforms” to prioritize child safety over profits. “We would never allow our children to be exposed to pornography, sexual exploitation, drugs, alcohol, and traffickers in the physical space, but these platforms are allowing this every single day in the virtual space,” stated Senator Blackburn. She stressed the urgency for Congress to act, asserting, “Now is the time to stand up and protect future generations from harm by passing KOSA.”
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Senator Richard Blumenthal underscored the bipartisan commitment to making KOSA law, noting the undeniable awareness of the destructive harms caused by addictive algorithms. “There’s undeniable awareness of the destructive harms caused by Big Tech’s exploitive, addictive algorithms, and inescapable momentum for reform,” said Senator Blumenthal, thanking Senators Thune and Schumer for their leadership.
Majority Leader John Thune, a long-time proponent of holding “Big Tech” accountable, emphasized the need for transparency. “Consumers deserve more transparency about how these platforms amplify and suppress content, which is why I’m proud to support the Kids Online Safety Act,” said Leader Thune.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer highlighted the personal toll of online harms, stating, “Too many families have lost kids after they took their own lives because of what happened to them on social media.” He emphasized the non-partisan nature of child safety, expressing his anticipation for the bill’s swift passage.
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The push for KOSA comes amidst recent revelations exposing significant failures in protecting minors online. Recent reporting revealed Meta’s AI-powered digital chatbots engaging in sexually explicit discussions with underage users. Additionally, a 2019 internal document presented by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) disclosed that Instagram’s automated systems recommended child groomers connect with minors, with minors accounting for 27% of follow recommendations surfaced to groomers and approximately one-third of inappropriate comment reports coming from minors themselves.
KOSA enjoys robust support from a diverse coalition, including parents who have experienced tragic losses or severe harm to their children due to “Big Tech,” young people seeking more control over their digital lives, and hundreds of advocacy groups and experts who witness the negative impacts of social media firsthand.
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