WASHINGTON, D.C. (WVDN) – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, voted in favor of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, legislation to protect children from online dangers associated with social media and give needed tools back to parents. The legislation is the combination of the Kids Online Safety Act, which Senator Capito helped introduce, and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act 2.0, of which Senator Capito is a cosponsor. The legislation passed on a vote of 91-3 and it now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.
“It is past time that Congress hold social media companies accountable for the risks they pose to our youth. The bipartisan passage of the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act sends the message to online platforms that they must be responsible for the content provided to our children and tools must be in place to empower parents and prevent harm. I’m proud to support this effort, and encourage my colleagues in the House of Representatives to take action on this legislation on behalf of America’s youth and the all too common online risks they face,” Senator Capito said.
BACKGROUND:
The Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act provides young people and parents with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against online harms. The bill requires social media platforms to put the well-being of children first, ensuring an environment that is safe by default. The legislation requires that social media platforms:
- Cannot use kids’ data without consent
- Must have addictive features disabled by default for kids
- Ban targeted advertising to minors
- Must be transparent in the ways they are combatting harm
