Rep. Watson Coleman Votes to Reject Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act

Rep. Watson Coleman Votes to Reject Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act

Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) issued the following statement following the passage of the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act in the House of Representatives:

While the KIDS Act took some steps in the right direction to protect children, it failed to address the serious concerns of social media's impact on children's mental health and suicidal ideation.

In 2019, I chaired the CBC Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health. In hearing after hearing, parents, students, social workers, school administrators, and mental health experts expounded the negative impact social media has been having on the mental health of our youth. To pass legislation meant to protect children online and leave out this vital aspect is to pass half measures.

Congress now must continue to build upon the KIDS Act by addressing the harmful impact on mental health and suicidal ideation, as well as enforcement measures to ensure social media companies are following through with their commitments to address online safety.

The House of Representatives passed the bill in a 267-117 vote, with 47 members not voting. If passed by the Senate, the KIDS Act would require social media platforms to create and enforce policies that address potential harms to minors on their networks including threats of physical violence; sexual exploitation; use of narcotic drugs, tobacco products, cannabis products, alcohol, or gambling; and financial harms caused by deceptive practices. It would also help parents monitor their children's experiences online, address screen time usage that fuels social media addiction, require age verification for mature websites, develop guardrails for AI chatbots, and regulate direct messaging on platforms.

The bill however omits the "duty of care" provision, which creates a legal obligation for providers to avoid exposing children to harm by meeting a "reasonable standard" of care or risk liability. These harms include but are not limited to eating disorders, suicide, substance use disorders and sexual exploitation.