Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The Kids Online Safety Act and COPPA 2.0 package passed the Senate in a bipartisan 91-3 vote on Tuesday.
Why it matters: This is the most substantial tech regulation to advance out of the Senate in years, and marks a major win for lawmakers, regulators and parents who've pushed for tech companies to do more to protect kids from online harms.
- Advocates say the legislation, dubbed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, would force companies to design their products to be safe for children.
Sen. Ron Wyden voted "no" on the package, as his office had previously told Axios.
- Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee were the other "no" votes.
What's next: The package now heads to the House, where Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers said she wants to hold a markup as soon as possible after recess.
- Speaker Mike Johnson said last week that he's "committed to working to find consensus in the House" on the issue.
- Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday before lawmakers left for recess that he hopes the legislation is taken up by the full House.
Yes, but: Key House lawmakers aren't on board with the legislation.
- E&C Ranking Member Frank Pallone has concerns with KOSA's duty of care provision.
- Some progressives are wary of the legislation, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez telling reporters last week that she doesn't support the bill.
- Civil liberties groups oppose the package, saying it would undermine human rights and lead to censorship.
House members can expect the pressure to ramp up from KOSA advocates.
- "I believe that in these next four weeks, those parents and young people are going to be as effective with House members as they were with senators," KOSA co-sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal said during a press conference on Tuesday.
- "They will come back to Washington as kids go back to school with the pleas of those young people and parents ringing in their ears."
The other side: "KOSA's data privacy, cybersecurity, censorship, and constitutional risks remain unaddressed," NetChoice's Carl Szabo said, adding the industry group "hopes to work with lawmakers in the House to protect minors and families from KOSA's many issues."
Our thought bubble: Action around protecting kids online is picking up on Capitol Hill. But the impact of these measures is unlikely to be felt for a long time as litigation is expected to hold them up in the courts.
