Another goal at the top of the agenda: finally holding Big Tech accountable with the Kids Online Safety Act and ensuring that parents have the tools they need to protect their children in the virtual space.
Work to hold Big Tech accountable and advance the Kids Online Safety Act to protect children online.
Occurrences
It incorporates Blackburn's Kids Online Safety Act ... The draft would impose a "duty of care" that would require AI developers to take reasonable steps to mitigate harms stemming from design features, along with chatbot safety provisions.
This framework includes bipartisan legislation Senator Blackburn has previously introduced, the Kids Online Safety Act ... Protecting Children Places a duty of care on AI developers in the design, development, and operation of AI platforms to prevent and mitigate foreseeable harm to users. Sunsets Section 230. Requires covered online platforms ... to implement tools and safeguards to protect users under the age of 17 against online harms.
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have championed the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, comprehensive legislation to protect children online and hold Big Tech accountable.
She emphasized the need for Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act to enshrine protections for American families into law.
Evidence
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn released a statement after a California jury found Meta and Google liable in a landmark social media addiction trial for designing their products to addict young users. She emphasized the need for Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act to enshrine protections for American families into law.
Senators Marsha Blackburn, Richard Blumenthal, John Thune, and Chuck Schumer introduced the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act. The bill aims to protect children online by requiring platforms to prioritize child safety and providing parents with tools to safeguard their children's online experiences.
The U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, marking the first major reform to the tech industry since 1998. Senator Blackburn emphasized the legislation's role in providing tools and safeguards to protect children online.
Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal celebrated the Senate Commerce Committee's passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, highlighting growing momentum to protect children online.
Following a Senate hearing with Big Tech CEOs, Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal announced that 62 senators now cosponsor the Kids Online Safety Act, reflecting growing bipartisan support.
The Dove Self-Esteem Project launched a campaign supporting the Kids Online Safety Act, aiming to address youth mental health issues linked to social media use and urging Congress to pass the legislation.
Concerned Women for America, a leading conservative women's group, urged support for the Kids Online Safety Act, highlighting its importance in making the internet safer for children.
Senator Blackburn's official website outlines her commitment to protecting children online through the Kids Online Safety Act and other legislative efforts, emphasizing the need for Big Tech accountability.
Assessments
Senator Marsha Blackburn demonstrated significant and sustained effort to hold Big Tech accountable and advance the Kids Online Safety Act, as evidenced by bill introduction, committee passage, and full Senate passage. However, there is no evidence that the Act has been signed into law, meaning the full outcome of the promise has not been completed. The legislative accomplishments and bipartisan support reflect meaningful legislative progress, but the absence of final enactment makes this a partial delivery.
Senator Marsha Blackburn made a clear promise to work to hold Big Tech accountable and advance the Kids Online Safety Act to protect children online. The evidence shows that she introduced the legislation, built significant bipartisan support resulting in passage by the relevant Senate committee and the full Senate, and participated in substantial public advocacy. However, there is no indication in the provided evidence that the Kids Online Safety Act became law or that major enforcement actions against Big Tech were enacted as a result during the same term. Therefore, Blackburn delivered substantial effort and achieved notable legislative progress, but the ultimate delivery of the full campaign promise (successful enactment of the KOSA into law and tangible Big Tech accountability) was not completed within the evaluated timeframe.