Nebraska Panhandle News

U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) celebrated the Senate's passage of significant online child safety legislation today. The Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act were approved in a bipartisan vote of 91-3. Ricketts made his remarks during a conference call with Nebraska media.

“Social media has also created dangers to our young people. Predators target kids online. Videos promote self-harm and eating disorders. Content fosters body image issues. Bullies destroy the mental health of our kids,” Ricketts stated. “This week, the Senate took an important step to fix that. We passed two bills that better protect children and teenagers online. They also give parents new tools, safeguards, and needed transparency. When it comes to kids, safety should be the default.”

“Companies in every other industry must take steps to prevent users from being hurt. Social media companies should do the same,” Ricketts continued.

The transcript of Senator Ricketts' remarks included further elaboration on these points:

“Over the past 20 years, social media platforms have connected people and communities,” he said. “That connectivity is often positive. Yet, we can’t ignore the dangers."

“In recent court filings, the Justice Department claims China has used TikTok to try to undermine American values, push their communist agenda, and spy on Americans," he noted.

“We took action to ban China’s ownership of TikTok earlier this year," Ricketts added. "I also banned it entirely on state devices when I was Governor."

He reiterated the dangers posed by social media: “Predators target kids online. Videos promote self-harm and eating disorders. Content fosters body image issues. Bullies destroy the mental health of our kids."

“This week, the Senate took an important step to fix that," he said.

According to Ricketts, “We passed two bills that better protect children and teenagers online.” These bills provide parents with new tools, safeguards, and transparency.

Ricketts co-led the Kids Online Safety Act with Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal: “The bill requires social media platforms to put the well-being of children first," he explained.

“It requires platforms to provide minors with options to protect their information," he said. "It gives an option to disable addictive product features and opt-out of personalized algorithmic recommendations."

“It also creates a duty for online platforms to prevent and mitigate specific dangers to minors," he continued.

“This includes content that promotes suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and illegal products like alcohol,” he specified.

Ricketts emphasized that “companies in every other industry must take steps to prevent users from being hurt." He concluded: "Social media companies should do the same. Our bill makes that a reality.”

Additionally, an updated version of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act was passed: “It’s called COPPA 2.0 from Senator Cassidy,” Ricketts mentioned.

“The current online privacy laws for children hadn’t been updated in twenty-five years,” he observed.

“This update was long overdue," he asserted. "It expands age protections to include teenagers under seventeen."

“It bans targeted advertising toward minors," he explained further: "It limits data collection and strengthens parental controls.”

“I encourage the House to pass both these bills and send them to the president’s desk,” Ricketts concluded.