Kelly Backs Legislation to Protect Children on Social Media, Hold Tech Companies Accountable

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly is cosponsoring the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, to protect kids and teens online by holding tech companies accountable for the content on their platforms and giving parents more control over what their children are watching.  

The bill has support from a broad coalition of parents who have seen their children harmed by social media, young people who want to change their online habits, and hundreds of advocacy groups and experts who have witnessed the negative effects of social media firsthand in their communities.  

“As a parent and grandfather, I know it’s only getting harder to keep kids safe online,” said Kelly. “Too many families have seen the real harm social media can cause, from mental health issues to bullying and exploitation. This will give parents more tools to protect their kids from dangerous content and finally hold tech companies accountable for putting profits ahead of kids’ safety.”   

Specifically, the Kids Online Safety Act: 

• Requires social media platforms to provide minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt out of personalized algorithmic recommendations.  

• Gives parents new controls to help protect their children and spot harmful behaviors and provides parents and educators with a dedicated channel to report harmful behavior.  
• Creates a duty for online platforms to prevent and mitigate specific dangers to minors, including promotion of suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and advertisements for products illegal for minors (e.g. tobacco and alcohol).    
• Ensures that parents and policymakers know whether online platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids by requiring independent audits and research into how these platforms impact the well-being of kids and teens. 

See what supporters are saying about the Kids Online Safety Act: 

“We hear from families in Arizona and all over the country who are worried about what their kids are seeing and experiencing online. The Kids Online Safety Act is a chance to put safety first, to give parents the tools to protect their children and hold tech companies accountable. It’s about making the internet a safe place for kids to grow up. This is the kind of change Alexander, and so many other kids, should have had,” said Amy Neville, Alexander Neville Foundation. 

“As an adult who struggled heavily with my mental health and self-image through my teen years during the early days of Instagram, I understand firsthand the critical importance of platform accountability when it comes to adolescent social media use. Without protective measures and online safeguards, many youths are left vulnerable and unsure where to turn for support. Too often, they end up seeking comfort in spaces that only deepen their struggles instead of leading them to trusted adults. Children deserve to be safe, and platforms must take responsibility for protecting their wellbeing,” said Meritxell Adria, Co-Founder & Director of Development at the LaloBoy Foundation. 

“I’m pleased the Senate has re-introduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). There is indisputable harm happening to children at an industrial scale—reaching literally millions of children. KOSA would begin to address those harms. Parents say this is the #1 issue, above school violence, drugs, and bullying. Free speech protections are enshrined in explicit language in the bill. I look forward to lauding the efforts of all who see this bill through,” said Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation. 

“I lost my 16-year-old son Mason in November of 2022 when he took his own life. This was only after he was inundated for several weeks by TikTok videos promoting suicide. There are no words to express the pain my family now lives with every single day. Big Tech will always put their profits over the safety of American children and it is my hope that this bipartisan legislation will quickly pass through the current Congress. Unlike Big Tech there is nothing more important to American families than our children and we need help to protect them from these dangerous platforms.” said Jennie Deserio, mother of Mason James Edens, forever 16.  

“For years, grieving parents have shown up to tell their stories, and Congress has promised to act. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has been vetted, revised, and supported by both parties—and it would give families the tools they desperately need to protect their children. After coming so close last year, there’s no excuse for letting this moment slip away, KOSA’s reintroduction is a second chance we cannot afford to waste,” said Maurine Molak, mother of David Molak, forever 16, co-founder of David’s Legacy Foundation & ParentsSOS. 

“I lost my son, Erik Robinson to accidental asphyxiation 15 years ago when he was just 12-years-old because of a viral challenge that others had promised was “safe.” Back then we had no idea that algorithms targeted kids with such dangerous material. However, we now know that these platforms are only out to make money and do not care how their platforms target and affect children. It breaks my heart that thousands of other kids have also died since Erik’s death as a result of an immense menu of harms that target kids online. Legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) would help mitigate many of these harms and save lives. I urge Congress to say “yes” and help keep kids safe with KOSA,” said Judy Rogg, mother of Erik Robinson, forever 12, Co-founder and Director of Erik’s Cause. 

“It’s been more than four years since I lost my son, Riley, to suicide when he was only 15 years old after a sinister stranger found him on Facebook and sextorted him. One of the few ways I’ve found to cope since then is to advocate for social media reforms that will protect other children from the abuse Riley experienced. Which is why the reintroduction of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is so critical. This transformative legislation will finally hold Big Tech accountable for the algorithms and designs they use to prey on the most vulnerable among us simply because it adds to their hefty bottom line. It’s unconscionable and Congress must step in now to require they create a safer product, because we know they can. KOSA will do just that,” said Mary Rodee, mother of Riley Basford, forever 15.  

“Selena was just 11 when she died by suicide after being exploited and overwhelmed on social media. I tried everything to protect her, but social media platforms like Snapchat were designed to pull her in and shut me out. KOSA would give parents a fighting chance. It would force companies to put safety first, and finally make them answer for the harm they’ve caused to families like mine through exposure to harmful cyberbullying. The reintroduction of KOSA represents a vital opportunity for Congress to finally implement necessary safeguards, ensuring that no other child falls victim to the same preventable dangers that took Selena from us,” said Tammy Rodriguez, mother of Selena Rodriguez, forever 11.   

“Apple is pleased to offer our support for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Everyone has a part to play in keeping kids safe online, and we believe [this] legislation will have a meaningful impact on children’s online safety,” said Timothy Powderly, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Americas, Apple. 

“Protecting children is the most basic human decency. The technology world that has come into being over the last 20+ years has been strip-mining the minds of our next generation for profit. They have been darkening their souls. They have been playing to their fears and walling them up in their anxieties. And their vision is now to use the very isolation and instability that they have created and catalyzed to create dependence on them through AI. The Kids Online Safety Act will stop this. It will turn the page on the harms many kids have suffered and protect the next generation. It will hold the companies that have done this accountable,” said Tim Estes, Founder & CEO of AngelQ. 

“In this digital age, the number of cybertips has skyrocketed from 1 million in 2012 to 36 million in 2023. Now more than ever, it is crucial to protect our children by ensuring they receive online safety training and by enacting legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act to hold tech platforms accountable and implement necessary safeguards,” said Ashlie Bryant, CEO of the 3Strands Global Foundation. 

“Count on Mothers fully endorses KOSA. After surveying mothers across the political spectrum and all U.S. regions, and conducting a nationally representative focus group, we found overwhelming support for KOSA’s protections. Mothers are demanding accountability and a clear duty of care from tech companies. Across backgrounds and beliefs, they agree: it’s time for the federal government to require social media platforms to offer minors the tools to protect their privacy, safety, and mental health from addictive and harmful product designs,” said Jennifer Bransford, founder of Count on Mothers.  

“We are grateful to the United States Senators that they are unflagging in their efforts to get the Kids Online Safety Act passed. This is no time for politics. America’s children are suffering from the worst mental health crisis in recorded history, and the literature is increasingly clear that the main driver is digital addiction. Social media are rife with abusive environments for children who get swept down dark rabbit holes by opaque algorithms. To make matters worse, the rise of A.I. chatbots that trick kids into friendships and romantic relationships with artificial corporate products that are perfectly attuned to their shifting moods, will only make it more critical than ever that we pass the Kids Online Safety Act. The time is now,” said Michael Toscano, Director of the Family First Technology Initiative.  

Click here for bill text.