Washington – Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) today. The text, which mirrors the version that Congress considered last year, retains serious First Amendment concerns. It also perpetuates a vague knowledge standard which would force overcollection of sensitive data pertaining to children. A similar version of the bill failed to win support in the House in 2024.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association shares lawmakers’ goal of protecting young internet users but retains the same concerns that it and many others have voiced about the bill’s unintended consequences.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President and CEO Matt Schruers:
“CCIA remains concerned that efforts to comply with KOSA’s current language will lead to unnecessary data collection and removal of legitimate expression, including by at-risk communities. Protecting younger users online is a universally shared objective, but making the internet less inclusive and forcing the collection of sensitive data to satisfy vaguely drafted duties is not the answer.”
