Jackson — On Feb. 10, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, together with a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General from around the country, urged Congressional leadership to protect children from online harm and pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
“Social media platforms promise connectivity, but that is not without consequences,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “These platforms pose serious physical and mental health risks to our children. Parents are desperate for help because they are up against the best digital engineers with the unlimited resources of their social media cartel employers. States like Mississippi are taking action to stand with parents and children, and it is time for Congress to join the fight, update the rules of the game, and help protect children with laws written to address the digital age. I am proud to support Senator Blackburn’s Kids Online Safety Act and am grateful to both Senator Hyde-Smith and Senator Wicker for cosponsoring it.”
The letter, signed by 40 Attorneys General, was circulated to House and Senate leadership in advance of potential consideration of the House version of KOSA, H.R. 6484, which contains expansive preemption language. States have pioneered laws that promote online safety for minors, and Attorneys General expressed concern in their letter that the provisions in H.R. 6484 could undermine existing and future state laws designed to protect children online and would limit states’ ability to respond to and address new and emerging online harms. General Fitch continues to defend the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, passed by the Mississippi Legislature, in a lawsuit filed by NetChoice on behalf of its member social media companies. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument in the case last week.
In the letter, the Attorneys General expressed support for the Senate version of KOSA, S. 1748, which includes a key Duty of Care requirement while enhancing and preserving states' authority to enforce and strengthen online protection for minors.
This push for federal legislation comes as many Attorneys General, including General Fitch, have launched investigations and lawsuits against major social media platforms like Meta and TikTok for their targeting of underage users. The Attorneys General emphasized the urgency of Congressional action as scrutiny of social media companies intensifies and evidence mounts regarding the harmful impact of addictive design features on children and teens.
Attorney General Fitch sent this letter to Congressional leadership alongside the Attorneys General of the sponsoring states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Ohio, and Tennessee who are joined by American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wyoming.
General Fitch launched her #BeAwareBeforeYouShare initiative with this video to raise awareness of the dangers our children face online. It includes powerful words from the father of Walker Montgomery, who killed himself after falling prey to a sextortion ring online
