As the Senate prepares to vote Tuesday on a broadly supported package intended to protect kids online, opponents are gearing up to lobby hard in the House to forestall further action and to pursue challenges on constitutional grounds.
The enthusiasm for passing stricter measures to protect kids isn’t yet seen in the House, but popularity in the Senate was clear from an 86-1 vote to end debate on the legislative vehicle for the two-bill package and move it toward a vote on passage. Backers say the package is narrowly tailored and intended to curb social media companies’ conduct rather than curtail content, insulating them from First Amendment challenges.
The package includes a measure, sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and co-sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., that would require tech companies to design online platforms in such a way as to prevent or mitigate harms to users, including sexual exploitation and online bullying. It has 70 other co-sponsors.
