Big Tech companies, including Meta and Alphabet, have spent nearly $90 million over the past three years to lobby against the Kids Online Safety Act. The bill, which is designed to protect children from harmful online content, faces strong opposition from these companies, who are concerned about the legal implications of the bill’s “duty of care” provision.
The Kids Online Safety Act would hold social media companies legally accountable for the safety of children using their platforms, addressing issues like cyberbullying, addiction, and online exploitation. However, Meta and Alphabet, along with other tech companies, are spending millions to prevent the bill from becoming law, fearing that it would lead to costly lawsuits and tighter regulations.
The lobbying campaign has focused on dividing lawmakers along cultural lines, with progressives warned about the potential for censorship of LGBTQ+ content and conservatives concerned about the suppression of anti-abortion views. By exploiting these cultural divides, Big Tech hopes to block the bill and protect their bottom line.
In addition to lobbying lawmakers, Meta has proposed an alternative solution, suggesting that parental consent should be required for teens to download apps. This would shift the responsibility for children’s safety onto parents rather than the tech companies, effectively allowing Big Tech to avoid liability.
Despite the lobbying efforts, the bill continues to gain support from child safety advocates and parents who have lost children to social media-related harm. The tragic stories of these families have been instrumental in pushing the bill forward, with advocates arguing that the safety of children must come before the interests of tech giants.
The debate over the Kids Online Safety Act will likely continue to intensify as Big Tech continues its lobbying campaign. Whether the bill will be passed or blocked will have significant implications for the future of online safety for children.
