Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The Senate on Thursday voted to end debate on its kids online safety package, setting it up for final passage early next week.
Why it matters: There is broad agreement among lawmakers, regulators and parents across the country that tech companies can do more to protect kids from online harms, and this would be the most substantial tech regulation to advance out of the Senate in years.
State of play: Senators voted 86-1 to end debate on the Kids Online Safety Act and COPPA 2.0 package, teeing up a final vote on Tuesday.
- The bill faces some hurdles in the House, which won't take up the bill until September at the earliest when they return from recess.
- Bill language has been examined and reworked for more than a year but House lawmakers could decide to push for more changes.
What they're saying: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech on Thursday said the two bills are "a first step" to protecting kids online and are on a "glide path" to passage early next week.
- Sen. Marsha Blackburn said she and co-sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal "introduced this bill about three years ago after a series of hearings where it became evident that platforms like Instagram knew that they were causing rising rates of eating disorders, mental health issues among teenage girls, and yet they were downplaying these harms."
- When asked about KOSA's prospects in the House, Blumenthal said "I'm always a worrier."
- Blumenthal said he thinks the duty of care language — the part opponents take issue with — works and did not say whether he'd support further changes to it.
The White House released a statement ahead of the cloture vote saying the administration "strongly supports" the package.
What's next: As Congress moves to potentially pass the first online child protection laws in decades, the fight would likely continue in the courts.
- "I see no legal basis to challenge this measure. There is no privacy intrusion. There is no censorship. We have no effect on Section 230. It is about a duty of care on big tech, which is reasonable and sensible, which is what legislation is supposed to do," Blumenthal said.
