By Josh Golin, Fairplay Executive Director
Mother’s Day is usually a time for chocolates and flowers, greeting cards and breakfast in bed. But in our nation’s capital, this Mother’s Day week was a time for the amazing moms in our survivor parent network to show that nothing — not even the power of Big Tech — is as strong as a mother’s love.
I was proud to be in Washington, DC, the past few days with several moms and dads from ParentsSOS, our coalition of survivor families whose children have died as a result of online harms. Through a rally on Capitol Hill, a hearing in the Senate, and a meeting with the Speaker of the House, these inspiring parents pushed forward legislation that can help ensure all children are finally safe from Big Tech.
First, on Tuesday, Fairplay and ParentsSOS joined with 40 of our peer organizations to hold a Mother’s Day Rally for Online Safety. The rally featured moving words from lead organizers Deb Schmill and Maurine Molak, along with fellow survivor parents Cheryl McMormick Brown, Carrie Baetan, Kim Osterman, and Erin Popolo. There were also rousing speeches from Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal, the two main sponsors of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a historic bill that will force Big Tech companies to change how they design their products so that they are no longer addicting and harming kids.
But the big surprise was Sen. Ted Cruz, who showed up unexpectedly and announced that the Commerce Committee, which he chairs, will pass KOSA, and that the bill will be signed into law this year. Cruz’s words matter because KOSA already has filibuster-proof support from Senators, so once it gets through Committee, it should sail through passage on the Senate floor. Now that we have a promise from Sen. Cruz to advance KOSA, we plan on holding him to it!
KOSA got another boost on Wednesday when Joann Bogard, a founding member of ParentsSOS, testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about why the recent landmark social media trial verdicts in California and New Mexico demand federal action to protect kids online. Sitting at the witness table, Joann told the painful story of how her beloved 15-year-old son Mason died from the viral “choking challenge” — which encourages children to make themselves pass out — after YouTube’s algorithm sent him a choking challenge video without him ever searching for it.
“I have been advocating for the Kids Online Safety Act for over four years,” Joann testified. “This is my 14th trip to Capitol Hill with other survivor parents, telling the story of the worst day of our lives over and over in order to protect other kids. I’m here today to ask Congress to finish the job and pass KOSA.”
During her testimony, Joann also made news: She announced that ParentsSOS was finally going to meet with Speaker Mike Johnson. That was a big deal because the Speaker’s opposition was the main reason the bill failed in 2024 after passing the Senate 91-3, and parents’ meeting requests have been denied for years.
But the parents persisted, and the Speaker finally met with them on Thursday afternoon. Even better, he expressed a commitment to getting KOSA passed, and assured the parents that they will have a seat at the table as the bill works its way through the legislative process!
Like Joann, I have traveled to Capitol Hill many times over the past four years to advocate for KOSA alongside the members of ParentsSOS. We came heartbreakingly close in 2024, and working with a bitterly divided Congress this year has been a challenge, to say the least. But the successes this week have left Fairplay — and the parents we support — feeling reinvigorated!
Big Tech has spent millions of dollars lobbying to kill KOSA, but the amazing moms and dads in ParentsSOS kept the bill alive. And this week, they extracted commitments from two of the most important leaders in Congress to get KOSA done. Your support and the support of the rest of our Fairplay community helped make that possible. And with your continued advocacy, we can pass KOSA this year and save the lives of countless kids.