Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Discuss the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)

The following interviews appear in The Engage Reader III (view the full issue). Hero image: Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal Celebrate Committee Passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, July 27, 2023 (credit: www.Blackburn.Senate.gov).

A conversation with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

ENGAGE: How did you come together with Senator Blumenthal to lead the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)?  

SENATOR BLACKBURN: We began working together on this legislation when I served as the Ranking Member and Senator Blumenthal served as the Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security during the 117th Congress. Senator Blumenthal and I introduced the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act following reporting and a series of five subcommittee hearings we led, which included testimony from social media companies and advocates on the repeated failures by tech giants to protect kids on their platforms and about the dangers kids face online.

ENGAGE: You and Senator Blumenthal have navigated KOSA through multiple revisions. What key factors will determine whether and when the legislation moves forward?  

SENATOR BLACKBURN: Senator Blumenthal and I are incredibly grateful to the countless parents and advocates who have continuously fought for Congress to pass the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act. There is never a dry eye in the room when these parents meet with us and share their heartbreaking stories. More importantly, when these parents come to DC, we’ve seen how they have successfully lobbied congressional representatives to help pass this life-saving legislation. Moms on a mission have always proven to be an unstoppable force.

ENGAGE: The Kids Online Safety Act has secured overwhelming bipartisan support, with more than 70 cosponsors from both Republicans and Democrats. This level of cooperation on such significant legislation is rare in Washington, where crafting good policy often isn’t enough to generate broad backing. What lessons can other lawmakers and the public learn from your success in building widespread support around this issue?  

SENATOR BLACKBURN: Crafting legislation requires building a large, bipartisan consensus and ensuring the final product will accomplish your goal and ultimately be signed into law. It requires hard work, a strong working relationship with colleagues across the aisle, and a reliable partnership between both senators and their teams that are leading the legislation.

A conversation with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

ENGAGE: How did you come together with Senator Blackburn to lead the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)? 

SENATOR BLUMENTHAL: Senator Blackburn and I began working together on the Kids Online Safety Act in 2021, when I was serving as the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security and she as the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member. Senator Blackburn already had a significant legislative record as a champion of children’s online safety going back to her time in the House of Representatives, and this issue had been one my priorities since my time as Connecticut’s state Attorney General.  We were both concerned by increased reporting around the harms of social media, highlighting the dangers and toxic content that young people continue to face online. Our Subcommittee received testimony from a whistleblower from Facebook, now Meta, who came forward and revealed internal documents demonstrating that the company was aware of its platform’s harmful effects on minors, and yet it persisted in prioritizing profits over safety instead of addressing these harms. This sparked a grassroots movement in favor of a common goal: holding Big Tech accountable and protecting children from the dangers of black box algorithms exacerbating eating disorders, bullying, suicidal thoughts, and more.

ENGAGE: You and Senator Blackburn have navigated KOSA through multiple revisions. What key factors will determine whether and when the legislation moves forward?

SENATOR BLUMENTHAL: This is an idea whose time has come. Kids and parents urgently want to take back control of their online lives with safeguards to protect them from toxic, harmful experiences. Our bill has strong bipartisan momentum with 72 supporters and growing support from young people who have seen firsthand the destruction caused by Big Tech, parents who have tragically lost children, mental health experts, and many public interest advocates. We must act now to protect the nation’s young people from the predatory actions of Big Tech.”

View the full issue of The Engage Reader III

ENGAGE: The Kids Online Safety Act has secured overwhelming bipartisan support, with more than 70 cosponsors from both Republicans and Democrats. This level of cooperation on such significant legislation is rare in Washington, where crafting good policy often isn’t enough to generate broad backing. What lessons can other lawmakers and the public learn from your success in building widespread support around this issue?  

SENATOR BLUMENTHAL: Senator Blackburn and her team have been strong, unwavering partners throughout this process, demonstrating with grace and grit how to effectively work together in Congress. Our teams are motivated by a shared commitment to doing right by, and working alongside, the parents and young people affected by the harmful ways of Big Tech.