WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) – More than a dozen Republican attorneys general said they oppose a children’s online safety bill backed by their party’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a letter released on Tuesday, exposing a Republican rift over how to keep kids safe online.
The attorneys general urged Congress not to pass the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, a bill that would require social media platforms such as TikTok and Meta to provide parental controls and curtail their collection of minors’ data. The Republican attorneys general oppose the bill because it would limit states’ power to pass their own laws regulating social media, according to the letter.
“The bill not only fails to meaningfully protect kids, but also, imperils the significant progress our jurisdictions have achieved on a wide array of tech issues,” the attorneys general wrote.
The letter demonstrates growing divisions in the Republican Party about social media regulation. On one side is the group of attorneys general and senators such as Marsha Blackburn and Ted Cruz, who say they want social media platforms to take more responsibility if they contribute to a range of harms to minors, including eating disorders and depression. On the other side are Republicans such as House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie, who has said that a more expansive bill could face court challenges.
Dozens of Democratic attorneys general also signed the letter. The list of Republican signatories includes Republican attorneys general from Tennessee, Alabama and Utah, all states that have passed bills regulating screen time for minors.
(Reporting by Courtney RozenEditing by Rod Nickel)
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