The US Senate has passed two major bills on Tuesday, July 30, aimed at enhancing online safety for children and teenagers.
As per Reuters, the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) garnered a near-unanimous vote of 91-3, marking a rare instance of bipartisan agreement on tech regulation.
COPPA 2.0 seeks to prohibit targeted advertising to minors and restrict data collection without consent. It also provides options for parents and children to delete personal information from social media platforms.
While, KOSA focuses on establishing a "duty of care" for social media companies, emphasizing platform design and company regulation to better protect young users.
Despite the Senate's approval, the legislation faces a challenging path ahead. Both bills need to pass through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which is currently in recess until September.
Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican and co-sponsor of KOSA, emphasised the importance of the reforms, stating, "Kids are not your product, kids are not your profit source, and we are going to protect them in the virtual space."
The tech industry, however, has expressed mixed reactions. While companies like Snap have shown support for KOSA, others, including Meta Platforms and TikTok, have raised concerns.
Critics argue that the legislation could inadvertently limit access to valuable information for minors, particularly on sensitive topics like vaccines, abortion, and LGBTQ issues.
