Big Tech companies like Meta and Alphabet are pulling out all the stops to derail the Kids Online Safety Act, spending a staggering $90 million over the past three years on lobbying efforts to prevent the bill from passing. The bill, designed to protect children from the dangers of social media, including cyberbullying, addiction, and online exploitation, is facing fierce opposition due to its provisions that would hold companies accountable for the harm their platforms cause to young users.
The bill, championed by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), includes a key provision known as the “duty of care.” This provision would hold tech companies legally accountable for the safety of children on their platforms, something Big Tech is determined to prevent. The companies are lobbying both conservative and progressive lawmakers, using culture-war issues to create division and block the bill in the House.
Big Tech has targeted both the right and the left, warning progressives that the bill could lead to censorship of LGBTQ+ content, while conservatives are told it could lead to suppression of anti-abortion views. This strategy of exploiting cultural divides is designed to generate confusion and prevent the bill from moving forward. In reality, it’s an attempt by Big Tech to protect their profits and avoid legal accountability.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has reportedly pushed for a shift in responsibility from companies to parents, proposing that parental consent be required for teens to download apps. This approach would place the onus on parents instead of the companies that profit from keeping young users on their platforms.
The influence of Big Tech has been so powerful that non-tech companies like News Corp have joined the lobbying efforts, spending millions of dollars to shape the conversation around the bill. This has created a situation where powerful corporate interests are standing in the way of protecting children.
Despite the lobbying, advocates for the bill remain undeterred, emphasizing that the protection of children online should take precedence over Big Tech’s interests. Parents, particularly those who have lost children due to social media-related suicides, continue to push for the bill’s passage, arguing that the safety of children is paramount.
