South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, along with attorneys general from 31 other states, is urging Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) before the end of the year. This bipartisan legislation aims to protect children from online harm. The coalition emphasized the urgent need to address youth mental health issues linked to social media use, noting that studies show minors spend over five hours daily online.
"Protecting our children from unscrupulous practices which can cause them harm is of paramount importance," stated Attorney General Wilson. He added, "I announced last month that we’re suing TikTok for violating South Carolina consumer protection laws by knowingly addicting children to their platform and making money by doing that. I think the Kids Online Safety Act will better protect our children from the addictive and harmful nature of social media."
The attorneys general pointed out several key provisions of KOSA aimed at enhancing online protections for minors. This call for federal legislation follows investigations and lawsuits against major social media platforms like Meta and TikTok for targeting underage users.
In addition to South Carolina, attorneys general from Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming have joined in this appeal to Congressional leadership.