Elon Musk joins other Trump allies in pushing the House to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)

With just two weeks remaining in this year's legislative session, Elon Musk and other allies of President-elect Donald Trump are accelerating efforts to get the House of Representatives to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). This bill, which already has the backing of the Senate, seeks to reform how social media companies handle users under 18.

Although KOSA was passed in the Senate with overwhelming support of 91 votes in favor and only 3 against, it has faced obstacles in the House of Representatives. There, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have expressed reservations, noting that the bill could grant too much authority to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and potentially encourage censorship of certain views.

However, more and more Trump allies are insisting on the need to pass the bill to ensure the protection of minors. One of the key figures in promoting this legislation is Elon Musk, who, through X, has played an active role in amending the bill to address concerns and strike a balance between protecting minors online and preserving free speech. This issue has generated debate among lawmakers.

"Protecting kids should always be priority #1," Musk wrote in response to a message posted on X by Linda Yaccarino, the platform's chief executive officer. Yaccarino underscored the company's commitment to working with Congress on child safety legislation. "We’ve heard the pleas of parents and youth advocates who seek sensible guardrails across online platforms, and the KOSA addresses that need," she commented, highlighting efforts made to protect free speech while ensuring the safety of minors online.

Donald Trump Jr. and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined the call, urging Republicans in the House of Representatives to pass legislation as soon as possible to ensure a balance between protecting minors and free speech on digital platforms. "KOSA is the right thing to do to protect our kids from dangerous online content – while still preserving free speech. Let’s pass this commonsense legislation now!" said Huckabee Sanders, Trump's former press secretary.

Bipartisan support for the bill

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal(D-CT), who are leading the bill, welcomed Musk and Yaccarino's endorsement. They noted that the modifications made to the bill's text would allay concerns about potential abuses of power by unelected officials. "These changes should eliminate once and for all the false narrative that this bill would be weaponized by unelected bureaucrats to censor Americans," Blackburn and Blumenthal noted.

The potential impact of KOSA

KOSA is shaping up to be one of the most relevant initiatives in recent years to regulate the safety of minors on social media. If passed, the law would impose a responsibility on social media platforms to protect users under 17, forcing companies to implement measures to block addictive content and protect minors' personal information.