PTC Calls on U.S. House to Prioritize Online Child Safety by Passing Kids Online Safety Act

LOS ANGELES (August 27, 2024) – The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) is urgently calling on the U.S. House to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), as children face real threats to their safety and well-being while online.

“Every day we hear stories of children who were targeted online by predators looking to sexually exploit or extort them. Whistleblowers from Meta revealed that Instagram was harming teens’ mental health and exposing teens to sexual harassment. Powerful algorithms target children and teens with eating disorder and other harmful content. Children access sexually explicit and graphically violent content with a click of a button. All of this happens because online platforms are not required to protect children. The Kids Online Safety Act would help to shield our children from these harms,” said Melissa Henson, vice president, Parents Television and Media Council.

The Kids Online Safety Act (H.R. 7891), introduced by Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), and Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), is designed to hold social media companies and other digital platforms accountable for protecting children online and requires stringent safety and privacy settings to be on by default.

“As we witnessed during the January 31 Senate hearing with tech CEOs, social media platforms have caused extreme harm to children and have not prioritized child safety. Many knowingly facilitated harm. The U.S. House must hold Big Tech accountable and protect our children by passing the Kids Online Safety Act,” Henson said.

The Parents Television and Media Council has created a Resource Center for parents and caregivers with the latest information and research about protecting children online and from explicit media marketed to them.