What The Tech: Kids Online Safety Act

CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The U.S. Senate passed two pieces of legislation this week aimed at protecting children online.

Coppa 2.0 is a stronger and updated law called Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.The second legislation is KOSA, or the Kids Online Safety Act. Both actions are widely considered the biggest movement to protect children in decades.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) on Wednesday, with bipartisan support. This landmark bill aims to enhance the safety of children online and on social media platforms by preventing them from seeing harmful content.

While the intention behind the legislation is commendable, it has raised concerns among consumer advocates and parents who fear unintended consequences.

Consumer advocate Stephen Kent argues that KOSA, while well-intentioned, could lead to widespread censorship.
“It basically imposes upon social media companies what is called a duty of care when it comes to minors under the age of 17 on their platforms,” he said.

“The problem is, we have no clear definition across society and in different communities about what constitutes harmful content online.

The bill’s vague definition of “harmful content” could be interpreted differently by various groups, leading to the suppression of content that some deem objectionable.

Kent believes this ambiguity will prompt social media companies to err on the side of caution and over-censor content to avoid legal repercussions.

“Social media companies don’t know what they are supposed to censor and so they will censor too much. They will go over the top in censoring certain kinds of content, anything they think could get them in trouble with the law,” Kent said.

This overreach in censorship could have far-reaching implications, affecting not only children but also adults.
Since there is only one internet for all users, Kent predicts that social media platforms will likely block content that even adults intend to share.

The bill’s broad language and potential for censorship have raised alarm bells for many who cherish the open nature of the internet.

Only three senators voted against the legislation, highlighting the strong support it garnered despite these concerns.

The bill now moves to the House, which is currently on recess until September.

President Biden has expressed his support for KOSA and has urged Congress to pass it alongside a stronger Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.

He has indicated his willingness to sign the legislation into law as soon as it reaches his desk.