Parents are coming to terms with the fact that in the digital world , children face new opportunities and also possible threats, all of which are accessible at the tips of their fingers. Smartphones and apps such as social media platforms have become a constant in the lives of youth . This has prompted our society to discuss how best to move forward in the digital age.
Unfortunately, as is often the case, Congress decided to try to pass yet another law to control people’s lives, and the Senate advanced the Kids Online Safety Act on Tuesday. Let me state it simply: KOSA, sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), is not the answer. Senate Democrats have used this bill to give greater authority and enforcement to big government and Washington bureaucrats at the Federal Trade Commission, handing them the power to implement their own radical agenda and not allowing parents to have the power to decide what their own children can or cannot access.
We need parents to have the freedom to choose what fits them and their families best in protecting their children online. Blackburn should know that Tennesseans should not have to rely on unelected bureaucrats at the FTC, which is run by socialist Lina Khan, or other government officials to decide how best to protect their children. Every family is different and has unique values and belief systems. We must allow families to handle this important matter from their own viewpoints and not promote a one-size-fits-all approach handed down by our federal government.
This is why leaders such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) have pushed back vehemently on this legislation. Paul took to the Senate floor this week to point out the many pitfalls of this legislation and noted it only had 70 co-signers because nobody reads the bills anymore.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sums this up perfectly in his own recent remarks opposing KOSA, stating : “Furthermore, this bill would give the FTC broad authority to determine what content is 'harmful,' and without clear guidance on what constitutes compliance with the law. This lack of precision leaves a great amount of room for interpretation, setting the stage for overreach and arbitrary enforcement. ... For example, what happens when the FTC determines that it is not in the best interest of a child for parents to be able to see who their kids are messaging because Khan wants children to be able to explore online resources related to sexuality and gender?”
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The significant changes to the duty of care provision in KOSA have made it clear that this bill would fail to protect our children and disenfranchise parents from making important decisions on their children’s online usage. Commonsense educational tools that put parents first and ensure our children are protected online make a lot more sense than handing off the privilege and responsibility of parenting to Khan and her followers at the FTC.
The Kids Online Safety Act will succeed in nothing but growing big government and taking away the individual liberties of parents across the country.
Hannah Cox is the president and co-founder of BASEDPolitics and is a frequent guest on Fox News.
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