Contact:
David Monahan, Fairplay: [email protected]
Advocates urge Senate leaders to advance kids’ online safety bill
Letter from 213 organizations in tech advocacy, children’s rights, and health urges the Senate Commerce Committee to advance KOSA to a full floor vote
BOSTON – Tuesday, July 18, 2023 – Today, a coalition of 213 leading advocates sent a letter urging Senate leadership to swiftly advance the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) out of the Senate Commerce Committee. The coalition is led by Fairplay, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the Center for Digital Democracy, Common Sense Media, the Eating Disorders Coalition, and Mental Health America.
Citing the growing youth mental health crisis and research on the effects of social media and time spent online, the coalition’s letter outlined the need for Big Tech regulation and more robust privacy protections for young people. The letter describes the severe impact that excess time on digital media can have on young people’s brain development and overall wellbeing, noting a 2022 report from Fairplay that showed that Instagram’s algorithm promoted pro-eating disorder content to children as young as nine.
The coalition’s letter comes shortly after the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the “profound risk of harm” for young people using social media. If passed, KOSA would prevent online platforms from exploiting young users’ developmental vulnerabilities and targeting them in unfair and harmful ways. KOSA establishes a “duty of care” for social media platforms accessed by young people, requiring companies to mitigate any harms experienced by children and teens on their platforms.
Please see below for statements from representatives of the signatories to the letter.
Josh Golin, Executive Director, Fairplay:
“For far too long, children and teens have been monetized by Big Tech with little care as to their safety, happiness, and wellbeing. Years of exploitation by these companies has fueled the adolescent mental health crisis and put millions of kids at risk. Last year, Congress came close to passing the Kids Online Safety Act and creating the online protections that every child needs. We urge the Senate to pick up where they left off last year and push this essential bill to the finish line.”
Sandy Chung, MD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics:
“Pediatricians understand that the environments in which children and teens live, learn, and play have a profound impact on their health and long-term trajectory, but for too long we haven’t given enough attention to the digital spaces where young people spend so much of their time. Manipulative features, like autoplay and endless scroll, designed to maximize the time young people spend online are at odds with children and teens’ developmental needs. The Kids Online Safety Act is a major step toward creating a more developmentally appropriate digital ecosystem, and we call on the Senate to act with urgency and advance this bipartisan legislation without delay.”
Christine M. Peat, PhD, FAED, LP, President, President, Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy, & Action:
“The provisions in KOSA are crucial to ensuring the safety of children and adolescents in the online world. We at the Eating Disorders Coalition are committed to ensuring that social media cannot be weaponized against vulnerable youth and that they are not exposed to content that can trigger or exacerbate an eating disorder. We urge Congressional leadership to move this important piece of legislation to the floor for a vote, and do what is necessary to protect the wellbeing of children and adolescents.”
Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media:
“The last few years of testimony, research, and legislative hearings have made clear: kids and teens’ mental health and well-being are being harmed online, and Congress must step in to stop it. The Kids Online Safety Act would make the online world safer for kids and teens by finally imposing responsibility on tech companies. Congress came very close to passing this key legislation last year, and we urge the Senate to move quickly to get KOSA to the finish line this year.”
Katharina Kopp, Director of Policy, Center for Digital Democracy:
“The public health crisis that children and teens experience online requires an urgent intervention from policymakers. We need platform accountability and an end to the exploitation of young people. Their well-being is more important than the ‘bottom-line’ interests of platforms. KOSA will prevent companies taking advantage of the developmental vulnerabilities of children and teens. We urge Congress to pass KOSA.”
Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD., CEO, American Psychological Association:
“The American Psychological Association has provided Congress with psychological research demonstrating the impact of social media on children and adolescents. The Kids Online Safety Act takes important steps toward curtailing the harms posed to youth by social media use and content, while seeking to retain the benefits. The legislation also creates important new access for psychological researchers to data held by social media companies that is essential to further understanding the platforms’ impact on children. We look forward to working with Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act.”
Mary Giliberti, Chief Public Policy Officer of Mental Health America:
“Congress must act now to promote youth mental health and well-being. Our online screening data show that teens are struggling with body image, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression. The youth mental health crisis requires Congress to take a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying causes of distress. The Kids Online Safety Act takes proactive steps to prevent harm and promote well-being by changing incentives for social media platforms and empowering youth and families.”
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