The 119th Congress is underway, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said one of his priorities is passing legislation to protect kids on social media.
He said he plans to reintroduce his Kids Online Safety Act legislation this session.
Blumenthal, along with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), first introduced KOSA in February 2022. It overwhelmingly passed the Senate last summer, but House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to call a vote in the House, citing free speech concerns.
Supporters of the bill, including Blumenthal, have denied that it threatens the First Amendment.
“The dangers of social media are no less now than they were in the last session, and we need to pass the Kids Online Safety Act to give parents tools and young people control so that addictive, destructive content on bullying, eating disorders, and self-harm can be stopped,” Blumenthal told reporters at an unrelated event on Thursday.
Elon Musk, the owner of X and a member of President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle, supports the legislation. It’s also supported by Microsoft and Snapchat's owners.
Advocacy groups like the ACLU have scrutinized it. In September, they said they were worried about the bill restricting online access to information about reproductive healthcare, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Blumenthal has traveled around the state of Connecticut, speaking to teachers, students and parents about the bill on numerous occasions.