TechNet, the national bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation ahead of the consideration of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore shared her concerns about protecting the mental health and security of children, according to a July 27 news release.
“Protecting the mental health and security of children online is a top priority for the technology industry and something our member companies take seriously," Moore said in the release. "Platforms continue to innovate and launch new tools, features and policies that are tailored to the differing developmental needs of young people, moderate and remove harmful and illegal content, limit unwanted interactions, set time limits and exceptions and protect child users, all while providing a safe, informative and entertaining experience online. These settings and tools empower parents to manage and supervise their children’s digital well-being in a manner that is age-appropriate and tailored to their child’s individual needs."
Moore noted they applaud Congress' work to explore how to make the internet a safer and healthier place for youth with KOSA and COPPA 2.0, but more refinement in those Act is needed, according to the release.
"Legislation must strike the right balance between protecting children from specified types of harmful content while ensuring that restrictions do not unduly burden lawful speech protected by the First Amendment or infringe on access to information for all users," Moore added, according to the release.
She noted additional steps should be taken to provide all Americans greater protection and privacy, the release said.
“Congress should pass a federal data privacy law that ensures everyone, no matter their age or where they live, has the right to access, correct and delete their data, mitigates abusive lawsuits against small businesses and provides companies certainty about their responsibilities so they can spend their resources on creating jobs rather than paying legal bills,” Moore concluded in the release.
