With just weeks left for legislation to be passed before Congress adjourns, X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced that she has worked with the authors of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). update bill This seems like a ploy to win over Republican House leaders standing in the way of it becoming law.
The striking announcement is the latest example of how Elon Musk and his companies Play an important role in influencing government productionWhile it is not unusual for outside stakeholders, including companies, to pay attention to pending legislation, the fact that the bill's sponsors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), announced That they see it. as helpful to the chances of the bill's passage.
Blumenthal and Blackburn said in a joint statement, “Under Ax's leadership, the new changes to the Kids Online Safety Act protect freedom of expression online while strengthening the bill and ensuring that it cannot be used to suppress expression.” Should not be taken for granted.” “These changes should end once and for all the false narrative that this bill would be weaponized by unelected bureaucrats to censor Americans. We thank Elon and Linda for their bold leadership and commitment to protecting children online and for helping us get this bill across the finish line in this Congress.
KOSA aims to make the internet safer for children by imposing a duty of care on technology platforms to prevent and minimize certain harms when implementing certain design features, including photo filters and infinite scroll. Bill passed with an overwhelming majority in the Senate summer but the bill is stalled in the House critics are scared It could be weaponized against speech it dislikes or the Internet could be further restricted due to fear of legal exposure to the platform.
The changes include a clarification that the bill cannot be used to impose a duty of care on platforms to protect “users through any speech, expression, or information protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.” It also limits the duty of care in relation to anxiety and depressive disorders so that it can only be applied if those conditions are “objectively verifiable” and have “compulsive use”. Be connected to.
But the Republican leadership in the House has also become an obstacle in the passage of this bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told punchbol news In October, “I like the theory, but the details of it are very problematic.” He was concerned about “unintended consequences”. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is considered potentially even harder to win, punch bowl The report, and is concerned about the scope of the duty of care in the Bill.