Parents across the country have been sounding the alarm for years: the internet is not safe for children, and the companies behind social media and AI platforms have not done enough to fix it. Now, a key Senate committee is preparing to act, and the window for real reform may finally be open.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will take up a slate of kids online safety and AI bills in the first week of August.
Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, told reporters Thursday that the exact agenda is “still a work in progress.”
“We are negotiating with the Democrats and trying to find the bills that have the best maximum positive impact and also the best chance of bipartisan support to passing into law.”
The centerpiece of the effort is the Kids Online Safety Act, known as KOSA, which would require social media platforms to set children’s accounts to the strongest privacy and safety settings by default and give parents more tools to protect their kids.
The Senate passed an earlier version of the bill 91-3, but it stalled in the House over free speech concerns. The House passed its own version last month as part of a broader package called the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, 267-117.
A key sticking point in negotiations is a “duty of care” provision that would hold platforms legally responsible if their algorithms or design features cause harm to minors.
Senator Cruz has also proposed banning children under 13 from social media entirely and requiring AI companies to create family accounts so parents can oversee their children’s use of chatbots.
Cruz and Sen. Marsha Blackburn met with President Donald Trump at the White House this week to discuss which bills the administration would support.
Proverbs 22:6 calls parents to train up their children in the way they should go, and Psalm 127:3 reminds us that children are a gift from God. The evidence that social media and AI platforms are harming children, fueling anxiety, depression, and exposure to dangerous content, is no longer in dispute.
Us intercessors who believe in the God-given responsibility of parents to protect and guide their children have every reason to pray that this legislation moves forward with real accountability measures intact, and that lawmakers resist pressure from the tech industry to water it down.
How are you praying for the protection of children online? Share your prayers and Scriptures in the comments below.
(Excerpt from The Washington Post. Photo Credit: Ron Lach / pexels)
