U.S. Senator Josh Hawley | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley | Official U.S. Senate headshot
This week, the Senate passed the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), cosponsored by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), aimed at combating Big Tech’s targeting of children online.
“Despite Big Tech’s endless lobbying, the Senate has taken a serious first step this week toward keeping kids safe online. The next step is to take the fight to the platforms—to give parents the right to sue. America’s sons and daughters deserve justice, not exploitation,” said Senator Hawley.
Senator Hawley has led efforts to hold Big Tech companies accountable for their platforms’ harmful algorithms and widespread dissemination of child sexual abuse material since his tenure in the U.S. Senate began.
In January, Senator Hawley compelled Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to apologize to families of child exploitation victims during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing after presenting alarming statistics about minors' interactions with sexually explicit material on Facebook and Instagram.
Senator Hawley has worked across party lines to advance the STOP CSAM Act, which aims to crack down on child sexual abuse material hosted on social media channels.
He also introduced the Parental Data Rights Act this Congress, legislation that would require Big Tech companies to give parents control over their children’s data and hold accountable companies that fail to comply.
The Senator continues to advocate for victims’ rights to sue social media platforms that knowingly host CSAM, aiming to empower consumers.