At a hearing held in Washington, D.C., Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, addressed legislative efforts aimed at protecting children and teenagers online. The hearing, titled "Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online," focused on nearly twenty proposed bills designed to form a comprehensive strategy for online child safety.
Bilirakis emphasized the urgency of the issue, stating that it is personal for many lawmakers due to its impact on their constituents. He outlined the approach as one that seeks to protect children, empower parents, and ensure legislation remains effective as technology evolves.
“These bills are not standalone solutions. They complement and reinforce one another to create the safest possible environment for children. There is no one-size-fits-all bill to protect kids online--and our plan reflects that,” Bilirakis said.
He highlighted the importance of giving parents tools to monitor their children's online activities in ways similar to how they supervise them offline. “Parents must be empowered to safeguard their children online. Just as a parent can observe their children’s activities and social behaviors at home and at school functions, so should they be able to check on their kid’s activities online. Our bills ensure parents have the tools and resources to keep their children safe in the modern world. A child’s life in the 21st century is much more complex than generations past, and parents need the tools to adapt.”
Bilirakis also addressed constitutional concerns regarding free speech protections: “Our bills are mindful of the Constitution’s protections for free speech. We’ve seen it in the states –laws with good intentions have been struck down for violating the First Amendment. We are learning from those experiences because a law that gets struck down in court does not protect a single child. And the status quo is unacceptable.”
Among the legislative proposals discussed was the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which Bilirakis leads. He described KOSA as establishing national standards with default safeguards and parental controls intended to empower families.
“It blocks children from being exposed to or targeted with ads for illegal or inappropriate content like drugs and alcohol. It takes on addictive design features that keep kids hooked and harm their mental health. And most importantly, it holds Big Tech accountable with mandatory audits and strong enforcement by the FTC and state attorneys general,” he stated.
Bilirakis noted that changes had been made to KOSA to improve its durability against legal challenges while maintaining strong protections: “I made precise changes to ensure KOSA is durable. Don’t mistake durability for weakness – this bill has teeth. By focusing on design features rather than protected speech we will ensure it can withstand legal challenge while delivering real protections for kids and families.”
He concluded by expressing pride in bipartisan cooperation within the subcommittee: “I am proud of the members of this subcommittee for working on legislation to address a myriad of harms and challenges. This issue is personal to every one of us up here, and it shows in the number of bills before us today. I know this is a shared, bipartisan goal – my office is open, call me, or find me on the floor. Let’s find a way to work together and save America’s kids from the threats they are facing online.”
