On July 30, two landmark (and controversial) bills were passed by the Senate in what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called a “momentous day.” These bills are the Children’s and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
In a floor speech, Schumer said, “KOSA and COPPA will be perhaps the most important updates to federal laws protecting kids on the internet in decades. And it’s a very good first step.”
Adding, “These bills have real bipartisan momentum, so we should seize the opportunity to send them to the president’s desk.”
What is the Kids Online Safety Act?
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) prescribes a duty of care by online platforms to users under 17.
In other words, platforms — including Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok — will be required to take “reasonable” measures to protect minors from things like bullying, sexual exploitation, eating disorders, and drug promotion.
Under this law, social media platforms will also have to provide parents and guardians with more control over young people’s accounts and, disable certain features like autoplay.
Meanwhile, COPPA 2.0 would implement more stringent privacy protections for internet users under 17. It would also ban targeted advertising to young people and create an “eraser button” for parents’ and children’s personal data.
While the bills have been passed, they still need to be ratified by President Joe Biden. And that won’t be for a while because the White House has just begun a six-week recess.
Further reading
- Now TikTok Creators Are Suing the U.S. Government Too
- It’s Official: TikTok Is Suing the U.S. Government
- Lawyers Are Rallying Creators for a Class Action Lawsuit to Save TikTok
- ByteDance Says It Won’t Sell TikTok
- President Biden Signs Bill Forcing TikTok Sale or Ban
- Dear President Biden: TikTokers Pen Open Letter to ‘Stop the Ban’
- Sell or Be Banned: Why the Latest Bill to Ban TikTok Won’t Solve the Problem
