STATEMENT: Senate Commerce Advances the Kids Online Safety Act

Today, Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS), a coalition of families who have lost children due to online harms, responded to the Senate Commerce Committee’s decision to advance the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) out of committee.

ParentsSOS founding member, Deb Schmill, mother of Becca Schmill, forever 18, and founder of the Becca Schmill Foundation, issued the following statement on behalf of ParentsSOS:

“As survivor parents who have lost our children to online harms, we are thankful to the Senate Commerce Committee for advancing the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) today. 

“Since KOSA’s introduction over four years ago, we have made dozens of trips to Washington, DC, met hundreds of times with members of Congress, and told the devastating stories of our children’s deaths over and over to demonstrate why KOSA is so important. We watched KOSA pass the Commerce Committee and pass the Senate two years ago, but fall short of becoming law. 

“This time, it has to be different. Survivor parents cannot wait any longer. The children of this country cannot wait any longer. KOSA must become law this year, and families across the country must be protected from the unbearable loss that we have suffered.

“ParentsSOS thanks Sens. Cruz and Cantwell for prioritizing KOSA at today’s markup, and we thank Sens. Blackburn and Blumenthal for being KOSA’s champions all these years. We appreciate all of the committee members and members of Congress who have met with us, addressed our concerns, and supported a strong version of KOSA that can now move on the Senate floor.

“The Senate version of KOSA is the most protective, popular, and bipartisan of all children’s online safety legislation under consideration. It provides an essential duty of care that will force online platforms to act in children’s best interests. We urge Senate leaders to give this bill a vote as soon as possible, and we call on House and Senate leaders to send the strongest version of KOSA to the president’s desk this year.” ▪