Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat, has supported the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a proposal that would add regulation to the social media company and its peers, a company spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
The endorsement was announced about a week before Snap CEO Evan Spiegel is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on online child protection. The CEOs of Discord, TikTok, Meta, and Company X, formerly known as Twitter, are also scheduled to testify.
“Protecting the privacy and safety of young people on Snapchat is a top priority and we support Kids Online Safety,” a Snap spokesperson said in a statement.
A spokesperson said many of the provisions in the bill include setting teens' accounts to the most restrictive privacy settings by default, providing additional privacy and safety protections for teens, and allowing apps to be used within apps. It said it was “consistent with existing safeguards”, such as providing parents and reporting tools. .
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with legislators on this important bill,” the spokesperson added.
Politico first reported the news of Snap's endorsement of KOSA.
This appears to be the first time a social media company has supported a bipartisan bill. The bill would require social media companies to provide options to minors to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt out of algorithmic recommendations. .
NetChoice, a technology industry group that counts Snap among its members along with TikTok, Meta and X, strongly opposes the bill.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), would require social media companies to prevent harm to minors, including through self-promotional content.・The content also establishes a duty of care to reduce the burden. – Harm, suicide, or eating disorder.
The bill would require companies to conduct annual independent audits to assess risks to minors and compliance with regulations.
Blumenthal and Blackburn welcomed Snapp's support in a joint statement.
“Big Tech has caused irreparable harm to countless young people and their families. At least some of these companies are joining the movement to make social media safer for children. We are glad that this is the case, but this is a long time coming. We will continue to fight to pass the Kids Online Safety Act and build on the great momentum that will ensure its passage.” said the senators.
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