The Bill was pushed by parents of children who died by suicide after online bullying or were harmed by online content.
The United States Senate has overwhelmingly passed legislation designed to protect children from dangerous online content, pushing forward with what would be the first major effort by Congress in decades to hold tech companies more accountable for the harm they cause.
The bill, which passed 91-3 on Tuesday, was pushed by parents of children who died by suicide after online bullying or had been harmed in other ways by online content. It would force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm on online platforms frequently used by minors, requiring them to exercise a “duty of care” and ensure that they generally default to the safest settings possible.
The House of Representatives has not yet acted on the bill. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has said he is “committed to working to find consensus” but has not indicated whether he will bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Supporters are hoping the strong Senate vote will push the House to act before the end of the congressional session in January.
President Joe Biden encouraged the House to send the legislation to his desk “without delay”.
