Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) has spent much of his career in public service focusing on the values of family, faith, and limited government. Known for his conservative stances, the two-time presidential candidate recently shared his concerns with Federal Newswire over the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill he believes could undermine parental rights and other important principles.
Santorum’s commitment to family is deeply personal and has been foundational to his policymaking. “Family was always... the center of life,” he says.
He was raised in an Italian Catholic household and his wife, Karen, comes from a large Irish Catholic family. Together, they have raised eight children, an experience he says informs his belief that family is the most lasting institution in society.
“The only thing you ever do that lasts forever is to co-create with God a human soul,” he says.
For Santorum, successful policymaking starts by empowering parents, not the government, to guide children’s lives. Throughout his career, he has supported measures to protect children from harmful online content.
“I helped pass a law to stop pornography and other types of horrible things in our libraries and schools,” he notes. However, his approach has been rooted in constraining government overreach. When it comes to content regulation, Santorum draws a firm line, maintaining that parents, not the federal government, should be empowered to monitor their children’s online activities.
“We used to say, ‘No, this is your responsibility,’” referring to the role of parents.
Despite its name, the Kids Online Safety Act raises red flags for Santorum. KOSA proposes to give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) power to regulate online content for minors. For Santorum, this represents a dangerous shift toward state control over parental authority. “This is actually regulating private sector content... and giving government power to decide what is appropriate for your kids to see,” he warns.
Santorum says that he fears KOSA could lead to politically-motivated content censorship. “Think about it... the FTC ... will decide what information your child should be able to see,” he cautions.
The potential for ideological bias concerns him deeply. In his view, agencies can decide “if it’s about promoting gender dysphoria, that’s great,” but, “if it’s about pro-life content, that’s dangerous.”
He also points out that empowering the government to police online content sets a troubling precedent. “Even if Trump is in office for four years, who’s next?” he asks, implying that the risk of handing such authority to any administration is too high.
He acknowledges that managing kids' online exposure is challenging, but insists it’s a responsibility that cannot be outsourced to the government. “We need to stop thinking that every problem requires a government solution,” he says. Instead, he encourages parents to take proactive steps. “What six-year-old needs a smartphone?”
Beyond federal laws, he emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture that values family time over digital distractions. “We have allowed our culture to become so materialistic and transient,” Santorum laments. His own family practices regular Sunday gatherings, a tradition he believes helps keep families connected and grounded.
For Santorum, KOSA is emblematic of a broader shift away from traditional conservative values. “Conservatives used to believe in limiting government’s role in our lives,” he says. “Now, some are willing to expand it under the guise of protecting children.” He urges policy makers—and especially conservatives—to remain committed to principles of individual responsibility and family empowerment.
