[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5172-S5173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               KOSA-COPPA

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, this week the Senate is taking a 
historic step in the fight to protect children online by bringing the 
bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act to the floor.
  Last Congress, Senator Blumenthal and I introduced KOSA following 
disturbing reports that Meta leadership knew its platform Instagram is 
toxic to teenage girls, causing rising rates of eating disorders and 
mental health issues, but Meta downplayed these harms in public.
  During a series of five subcommittee hearings, we heard testimony 
from social media companies, advocates, and parents on the repeated 
failures of tech giants to protect kids, to protect them from pro-
suicide content, from drug dealers, from sexual predators, from eating 
disorder content, from human traffickers, and so much more.
  For years, the Big Tech giants refused to meaningfully address these 
problems, but that changes with KOSA, which will finally hold them 
accountable.
  Congress has not passed a major law to protect children online since 
1998, and a lot has changed in the last 25 years. But this moment would 
have been impossible without the hundreds of parents, including many 
who have tragically lost their children to social media harms. They 
have traveled to Washington over the past several years to share their 
heartbreaking stories and to demand action to protect our children. 
Senator Blumenthal and I could not have accomplished this without their 
voices, and I want to thank

[[Page S5173]]

all of our friends and our allies for their work in getting this bill 
to the floor. One thing is certain: Moms on a Mission have always 
proven to be an unstoppable force, and, indeed, they are.
  I also want to thank Leader Schumer, Commerce Committee Chair 
Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz, and our 68 Senate cosponsors for helping 
us get here.
  Once the Senate formally passes KOSA, our work is not done. We must 
ensure that the House quickly passes this bill and sends it to the 
President's desk.