Is Meta finally backing a federal kids safety bill, or is it all PR?
Families of children who died by suicide call out Meta for apparent 180 on federal online safety regulation, despite millions spent lobbying against such bills.
Meta's recent $17 billion settlement, stemming from controversy over its role in social media addiction and youth mental health, has drawn attention to the company's pledges. As part of the agreement, Meta committed to investing in app guardrails and offered a $12 billion payment to state attorneys general, with an additional $5 billion if Snap, TikTok, and YouTube implement their own safeguards.
While the settlement's specific changes, such as age assurance and time limits, garnered much attention, survivor parents saw a different, less prominent promise: Meta's potential backing of the federal Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
An unnamed Meta official expressed the sentiment that it would be better to have KOSA passed by a legislature, as it could immediately bind all competitors to the same rules. This comment surprised those advocating for tech regulation, including Maurine Molak, founder of Parents for Safe Online Spaces. Molak was particularly outraged that Meta seemed to dismiss KOSA after receiving millions of dollars in lobbying money against it.
Molak and other parents penned a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, questioning his support for the bill following his recent comments. The letter called on Zuckerberg to publicly pledge his support for KOSA and share that support with President Trump and leaders in Congress. However, as of this report, Meta has remained silent on the matter.
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