Senator Marsha Blackburn Urges Passage of Children’s Online Safety Act

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has released a video emphasizing the urgent need to pass the Children’s Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill aimed at strengthening children’s digital safety and privacy.

In a 2-minute and 30-second video, Blackburn shares the story of a Tennessee woman whose 17-year-old son, Vaughn Thomas, tragically lost his life after taking fentanyl-laced pills purchased on Snapchat.

Thomas struggled with fentanyl addiction and died after taking what his mother described as “fake Xanax.” His mother, Cathy, recounts the devastating moment she found her son unresponsive, having taken what he thought was Xanax but was actually counterfeit and laced with fentanyl.

When Blackburn asked how he obtained the pills, Cathy revealed that some may have been acquired through the social media platform Snapchat.

“One mistake should not have resulted in Vaughn-Thomas being sentenced to death,” Cathy said.

Blackburn, a co-author of the KOSA bill with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), emphasizes that the bill would require social media platforms to “design for safety and take due care to ensure that.”

The bill aims to create regulations governing the types of features that tech and social media companies can offer to minors online, following years of advocacy about the potential dangers of social media and its impact on youth mental health.

Blackburn highlights the alarming statistic that over 100,000 Americans die each year from fentanyl-related overdoses, with many cases linked to online purchases.

The KOSA bill passed the Senate with overwhelming support, 91-3, in late July as part of a package that included the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, also known as COPPA 2.0.

However, the bill has stalled in the House due to resistance from leadership, who argue that it could trigger censorship of the press and give the Federal Trade Commission new powers.

Parents who have lost children or seen them seriously harmed due to social media have gathered outside the Capitol, urging lawmakers to pass the bill.

Blackburn and Blumenthal’s offices have confirmed that dozens of parents and teens from various advocacy groups will be meeting with House staff to urge them to support KOSA.