Kids Online Safety Act Attached to FAA Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON—Sponsors of the controversial Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) reportedly managed to attach their measure to a funding reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Now, civil society organizations are pressing leadership in the U.S. Senate to prevent the attachment of KOSA as a rider to an otherwise unrelated measure. The Hill reports that the FAA reauthorization bill is quickly approaching its May 17 adoption deadline. A lack of passage could disarray the country's aircraft control system. Due to this pressure, lawmakers who have introduced a range of online child safety measures but saw them stalled are bringing forth amendments to carry their measures with the reauthorization. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., are the primary sponsors of KOSA in the Senate. News reports confirm that Blumenthal and Blackburn introduced their version of KOSA to amend the FAA reauthorization act for the upcoming fiscal year. If lawmakers adopt the amendments, this could fast-track KOSA's passage. Civil society groups are now expressing their concern about hastily implementing child protection legislation that has civil liberties activists and trade groups concerned. “We, the undersigned organizations, share the goal of creating safer spaces for minors online," said one coalition of civil society organizations. The coalition consists of the Chamber of Progress, Equality New Mexico, Freedom Oklahoma, LGBT Tech, TransOhio, and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation.  "However, KOSA fails to achieve that goal, and reshaping speech, content moderation, and the digital world for teens is a complex issue that deserves its own debate in Congress," the letter continued. "With the FAA reauthorization deadline approaching, we urge you to exclude KOSA as non-germane from legislation brought to the floor.” Another coalition of organizations signed an additional letter urging Senate and House leadership to block the amendment. The second coalition letter reads, "The legislation does not keep kids safe online and does more to infringe on the constitutional rights of Americans." This letter was signed primarily by technology trade organizations, like the Chamber of Progress, PEN America, TechFreedom, NetChoice and several others, along with the American Civil Liberties Union. Members of the House have introduced their own version of KOSA. AVN has reported extensively on the controversies surrounding the Kids Online Safety Act. For example, Sen. Blackburn—a staunch critic of LGBTQ+ rights—has voiced her support for KOSA as a means to censor otherwise protected forms of expression online.