{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2024/10/issues/technology/icymi-in-the-hill-blackburn-pushes-back-against-kosa-lies", "ICYMI in The Hill: Blackburn Pushes Back Against KOSA Lies", "2024-10-22", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "TN", "Marsha Blackburn", "B001243", "www.blackburn.senate.gov", "blackburn", "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0", "scraper", "NASHVILLE, Tenn. \u2013 U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a memo rebutting Big Tech\u2019s lies about the Kids Online Safety Act, which passed the Senate 91-3. Read more about this memo in the article here and below.\n\nRepublican senator pushes back against KOSA \u2018lies\u2019\n\nMiranda Nazzaro\n\nThe Hill\n\nSen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) pushed back against tech companies\u2019 criticism of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), responding in a memo Monday to what she described as \u201clies\u201d about the privacy legislation.\n\nThe memo, released Monday morning by her office, rebuked a series of arguments made by some leading tech companies and lawmakers opposed to the bill\u2019s current form. It comes as the legislation faces an uncertain future in the House after passing in the Senate earlier this year.\n\nBlackburn, the co-author of the Senate-passed version, wrote KOSA does not censor speech nor affect the First Amendment \u2014 concerns raised by some House Republicans.\n\n\u201cKOSA would not censor, limit, or remove any content from the internet and it does not give the FTC or state AGs the power to bring lawsuits over content or speech, no matter who it is from,\u201d the memo stated. \u201cThe bill passes First Amendment scrutiny because it is content neutral.\n\nThe bill would not give any new \u201crulemaking power\u201d to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Blackburn wrote in response to some Republicans\u2019 concerns it would give the FTC too much authority to regulate social media platforms.\n\nKOSA, which overwhelmingly passed the Senate in a 91-3 vote in late July, is aimed at boosting online privacy and safety for children. The bill would create regulations for the kinds of features tech and social media companies offer kids online and intends to reduce the addictive nature and mental health impact of these platforms.\n\nSome House Republicans suggested last month the bill could specifically censor conservative voices or anti-abortion views. Blackburn disagreed with this, writing online platforms will not be held liable for hosting or boosting users with these views, and emphasized the bill does not grant enforcement powers related to speech or content.\n\n\u201cClaims that KOSA allows the FTC to decide what kids see online are blatant falsehoods circulated by tech companies trying to stop the bill from becoming law,\u201d Blackburn wrote. \u201cThe bill gives the FTC the ability to hold social media accountable for their product designs \u2014 their own predatory business practices and deadly apps.\u201d\n\nWhile the bill advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last month, members in both parties expressed concerns with its language, for different reasons.\n\nSome lawmakers took issue with the language of KOSA\u2019s \u201cduty of care\u201d provision. As written in the Senate version, the provision would require platforms to design and implement features for minors to prevent and reduce harms, such as those caused by content promoting suicide and eating disorders.\n\nBlackburn offered her definition of the provision, writing it \u201csimply states that online platforms cannot put products on the market that will cause specific harms to kids, such as suicide and sexual predation. These harms are specified and defined by Congress, not the FTC.\u201d\n\nThe House version that advanced out of committee last month includes amendments changing this provision.\n\nThe Tennessee Republican further emphasized that KOSA applies to commercial and online platforms like social media, online video games and video streaming services, but it does not apply to nonprofit organizations, blogs, news outlets, churches or broadband companies.\n\n\u201cIt would not impact the ability of kids to watch online sports, news or a church sermon,\u201d Blackburn wrote.\n\nThe bill would \u201cgive parents a seat at the table\u201d and a place to voice their concerns with leading tech companies, she added.\n\nThe push comes nearly a week after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) revealed he likes the concept of KOSA, though he claims the details of the Senate-passed version are \u201cvery problematic.\u201d\n\n\u201cI love the principle, but the details of that are very problematic,\u201d Johnson told Punchbowl News in an interview in Pennsylvania.\n\nThe Speaker said the Senate bill, as written, would have \u201cunintended consequences,\u201d Punchbowl reported. Johnson\u2019s office confirmed his comments to The Hill.\n\nPunchbowl reported Johnson did not appear open to persuasion on the Senate version, a potential blow to KOSA advocates who previously told the outlet the House leader might be flexible.\n\nMonday\u2019s memo follows a series of other efforts led by Blackburn and tech advocacy groups to pass the legislation on the full House floor.\n\nRELATED:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2024/10/issues/technology/icymi-in-the-hill-blackburn-pushes-back-against-kosa-lies"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.07226287946105, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}