Yesterday, important online safety bills were introduced in the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. These included companion bills to the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), the Children and Teens’ Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). Children and Screens sees this as a clear sign that both chambers of Congress take the health and wellbeing of children seriously, and are committed to ensuring a safe online environment for kids and teens.
In addition, the new American Privacy Rights Act, which was introduced alongside these bills, signals the House of Representatives’ commitment to comprehensive data rights and digital privacy. We are eager to see how this legislation develops to protect the best interests of children. The efforts of Senate Commerce Chair Cantwell and House Energy and Commerce Chair Rodgers to ensure all Americans have privacy and security online is essential. Children and Screens encourages both chairs to ensure that children – the most vulnerable population online – are provided greater protections, like those afforded in COPPA 2.0 and KOSA.
We appreciate Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Kim Schier (D-WA), and Tim Walberg (R-MI) for their leadership in the House of Representatives. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) worked tirelessly on the Senate versions of KOSA and COPPA 2.0 and we are grateful for their continued leadership representing the health and safety of children online.