The Senate Judiciary Committee brought the conversation surrounding kids online safety back to the Capitol, holding a hearing Wednesday about strengthening protections for children online and addressing the legal gaps that come with the issue.
The hearing comes as senators look to revive legislation, like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), that didn't make it across the finish line amid GOP opposition in the House last year.
Committee members on both sides of the aisle were largely in agreement that major technology companies need new pathways, including in court, to be held accountable for the alleged harms their platforms can cause children and teens.
“Should tech platforms be allowed to profit at the expense of our children’s privacy, safety, and health? Should they be allowed to contribute to a toxic digital ecosystem without being held accountable?" Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in his opening statement.
"I believe the answer is clear. When these platforms fail to implement adequate safety measures, they are complicit in the harm that follows, and they should be held accountable.”
The committee heard from tech and child safety advocates and those who handle the legal side of these issues.
Many lawmakers appeared interesting in amending Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which largely shields Big Tech companies from legal action regarding their platforms.
"A myth has been created about it [Section 230], that it somehow created the internet and somehow the internet will break without it and that's simply not true," Mary Graw Leary, a professor of law at Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, told the committee.
"And if it ever was true, this is no longer a fledgling business that needs that kind of support, instead it needs to be treated like every other business."
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a fierce Big Tech critic, emphasized how parents and victims looking for legal recourse are likely going to be unsuccessful due to the limitations of Section 230.
"You're probably gonna end up losing," Josh Pizzuro, the CEO of Raven, an advocacy group fighting child exploitation, told Hawley when asked about the chances of success with legal action.
On our radar: Lawmakers largely hinted a bill to remove Big Tech's legal immunity is coming this week. Previous attempts to pass such a bill have been unsuccessful, though it is unclear if the legislation will differ from years past.
