Exclusive: NetChoice, the Republican-allied Big Tech trade group, is pushing a new effort to influence congressional negotiations over how to protect kids online.
The trade association — which counts Google and Meta as members — is distributing a list of alternative approaches to the issue. The document is going out as the Hill and state lawmakers consider broadening the talks to address the Kids Online Safety Act, digital age verification and related issues in one package.
You can read the group’s recommendations exclusively here.
“Instead of unconstitutional, quick political fixes, this framework funds law enforcement, strengthens legal protections and equips parents and kids with the resources they need to thrive in the digital age,” said Amy Bos, NetChoice’s director of state and federal affairs, in a statement.
NetChoice is sending the document to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee — plus additional lawmakers in Congress and state capitals.
The timing is growing urgent. Both congressional committees have signaled that kids’ digital protection is a top issue for the fall. States are also likely to accelerate their efforts in upcoming legislative sessions.
NetChoice has been particularly critical of, and successful in suing to stop, state laws that require users to prove they’re above a certain age to access social media.
As we’ve told you, age verification is an issue that’s gaining momentum on the Hill, though it may be more likely to focus on access to smartphone apps or adult websites.
But NetChoice is also worried about KOSA, the bill to regulate design features on social media platforms in a bid to protect young users. The measure stalled in the House last year. Its sponsors insist it’s constitutional and not focused on speech.
Instead, NetChoice wants Congress to pass measures like the Invest in Child Safety Act (“to give cops the money they need to arrest and convict predators that are trying to hurt kids online”).
The trade association also suggests federal bills on sexual deepfakes and grants for “state and local educational agencies to support digital education programs.” It also has options for state legislatures to consider.
Under the label of the “Digital Safety Shield for America,” NetChoice’s recommendations represent suggestions the group has already made in its lobbying around the country but hasn’t distributed as a comprehensive set of counter-proposals.
