WASHINGTON — Rose Bronstein lost her 15-year-old son, Nate, to suicide after he was severely cyberbullied. Sam Chapman’s 16-year-old son, Sammy, died from fentanyl poisoning after taking a single counterfeit pill he bought from a dealer on Snapchat. They were two of several grieving parents attending a congressional hearing Tuesday focused on online safety for children and teens.
The hearing coincided with the rollout of a major new House draft of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which could reshape how social media companies design and operate their platforms for minors.
Lawmakers are also weighing almost two dozen additional bills related to children’s online safety, including proposals on age verification, limits on data collection, and restrictions on targeted advertising.
“These bills are not stand-alone solutions. They complement each other,” Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said.
You can listen to Sam Chapman tell his son’s story on this episode of the Grieving Out Loud podcast.
But some lawmakers and advocates raised concerns about enforcement. Many of the proposals rely on the Federal Trade Commission, an agency critics say has been weakened under the Trump administration.
Kate Ruane, director of the Free Expression Project, said the administration has undermined the FTC by removing commissioners who disagree with the president. She also warned that the federal proposals could override stronger state protections.
“For example, Texas protects children data at a higher level than these proposals,” said Ruane.
Still, most who testified voiced strong support for advancing new protections.
“In the last decade, we’ve seen child harm after child harm,” said Mark Berkman, CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety. He argued that social media companies are putting profits ahead of children’s well-being and noted that half of teens report using social media more than five hours a day.
“Social media is harming millions of America’s children,” Berkman said, citing risks including fraud, extortion, and suicide.
Berkman urged passage of Sammy’s Law, named for Sammy Chapman. The bill would require social media companies to allow third-party safety software to monitor minors’ accounts for dangerous content.
“We know it’s highly effective, saving numerous lives,” Berkman said.
Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., also pushed for legislation that would bar minors from using ephemeral messaging, online communication that disappears after a short period of time, sometimes after it’s been viewed. He also said parents should have control over approving or denying friend requests or contact from strangers.
“A 10-year-old should not be getting messages from a stranger,” Dunn said.
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said she was disappointed the App Store Freedom Act was not included in the hearing. She argued it would give parents more control over which apps their children can download. Opponents counter that it would weaken device security and reduce—not strengthen—digital protections for kids.
A full list of bills discussed is available on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s website.
