Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), the incoming chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he really wants to take on the tech issues that have stymied the panel this year.
Here’s what Guthrie told us about privacy for web users of all ages and kids’ protection:
If you haven’t followed the twists and turns of digital bills in the Energy and Committee, here’s what that means.
The ideal first priority for Guthrie would apparently be to pass a bill that protects everyone’s data. It’s a goal that’s proven popular and yet elusive for many years. Just this summer, outgoing Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) put together a bipartisan comprehensive privacy measure as a legacy item. It fell short due to objections from House leadership, particularly House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
“Kids are vitally important,” Guthrie said. “But I think it’s also important the way that our information is accessed and used as well.”
Next up would be kids’ protection, including a social media design bill known as the Kids Online Safety Act. KOSA made it through the committee this year but failed to become law.
Guthrie seemed to leave room to jump straight to KOSA if comprehensive privacy proves highly difficult.
Still, KOSA notably faced concerns from Speaker Mike Johnson that it would hurt free speech. Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr. jumped in to support a revamped Senate version of KOSA, but Johnson said the bill still needed more tweaks.
A wrinkle here is Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who’ll be chairing the Senate Commerce Committee. Cruz definitely wants to start with kids, and he told us he wants to basically start all over again on comprehensive privacy.
Guthrie said he’s due to meet Cruz to align priorities right after lawmakers return in 2025.
