{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2024/10/issues/technology/rebuttal-to-big-tech-s-lies-about-kosa", "Rebuttal to Big Tech\u2019s Lies about KOSA", "2024-10-21", "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", "To: Interested Parties\n\nDate: October 21, 2024\n\nRe: Rebuttal to Big Tech\u2019s Lies About the Kids Online Safety Act\n\nKOSA Does Not Censor Speech Nor Impact the 1st Amendment\n\nKOSA 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. This bill passes First Amendment scrutiny because it is content neutral.\n\nOnline platforms cannot be held liable for hosting or promoting conservative voices or pro-life views as a result of this bill. The legislation does not include any enforcement powers or obligations related to content or speech.\n\nTo be clear on Congress\u2019s intent to protect speech, the bill includes an explicit statement that it does not expand or limit Section 230, which provides online platforms broad legal immunities for third-party content. Furthermore, the bill provides legal safeguards to protect users\u2019 ability to view and search for the content that they choose to see.\n\nKOSA Does Not Increase The Authority of the Federal Government or FTC\n\nIt is important to note that there is no new rulemaking power for the FTC in KOSA nor any ability to create rules about content. KOSA gives the FTC clear direction from Congress about how to apply its existing enforcement authorities to protect kids online.\n\nClaims 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.\n\nWhat Does KOSA\u2019s Duty of Care Actually Do?\n\nThe bill gives the FTC the ability to hold social media platforms accountable for their product designs \u2013 their own predatory business practices and deadly apps. This is the same responsibility and accountability that exists for almost every other industry in America\n\nThe duty of care simply states that online platforms cannot put products on the market that will cause specific harms to kids, such as suicide and sexual predation. Those harms are specified and defined by Congress, not the FTC.\n\nBig Tech will be required to ensure their platforms are safe for kids by default, and not put the burden exclusively on parents. This will also ensure that the protections for kids keep up with changes in technology.\n\nKOSA Will Not Require Anyone To Upload ID\n\nKOSA does not impose age verification requirements or require platforms to collect more data about users (government IDs or otherwise). In fact, the bill explicitly states that it does not require age gating, age verification, or the collection of additional data.\n\nKOSA Protects Churches, Blogs, and News Outlets\n\nKOSA covers commercial, online platforms such as social media, social networks, online video games, social messaging applications, and video streaming services, such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Roblox.\n\nNon-profit organizations, blogs, personal websites, news outlets, churches, broadband companies, etc. are not covered by KOSA. It would not impact the ability of kids to watch online sports, news, or a church sermon.\n\nKOSA Gives Parents A Seat At The Table\n\nFor decades, Big Tech lobbyists and their front groups have dominated the conversation, denying the suffering of American families. The Kids Online Safety Council is a place where parents have a seat across the table from big tech and they can raise the issues they are seeing with their kids. The Council has no rulemaking or enforcement power.\n\nKOSA Uses The Same Methods Our Military Utilizes to Define \"Mental Health Disorder\u201d\n\nFor decades, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Mental Disorders (DSM) has been used by Congress and states, as well as our military, the VA, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.\n\nHow Can Companies Know Who Is Under 17?\n\nOnline platforms have been required to provide legal protections to kids for more than two decades under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Just as COPPA has not required age-gating or substantial burdens on business or privacy, neither will KOSA.\n\nIf an online platform truly doesn\u2019t know the age of the user, then it does not face any obligation under the bill. It is not required online platforms collect more data to determine the user\u2019s age.\n\nClick here to download the full memo.", 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/rebuttal-to-big-tech-s-lies-about-kosa"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5171850100159645, "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"}