U.S. Senate plans to vote on online safety bill

ALBANY, N.Y (NEWS10)--The U.S. Senate plans on bringing the Kids Online Safety Act, also known as KOSA, to the floor.

"I met with many parents from New York and around the country, who’s kids took their own lives because of what happened to them on social media," said Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer. "Some of these kids were bullied, others were targeted by predators or had their personal private information stolen."

One of those parents, is Mary Rodee. She’s been advocating for more legislation after losing her son, Riley.

"I’ve met with him in May when he promised to get this done, so I’m really glad that it’s happening," said Rodee.

According to Schumer’s Office, KOSA:

-Will give kids and teens the option to opt out of algorithmic feeds

⁃ Limit the promotion of harmful behavior such as suicide⁃ allow parents to control how their child’s information is used

⁃ Create a channel to report harmful behavior.

As for when action could be taken on the bill, Schumer provided an update on Tuesday.

"Members prepare for a cloture vote on the message as soon as Thursday," said Schumer.

It’s unclear when the bill will see movement in the House of Representatives.

New York State recently passed a similar bill called the SAFE for Kids Act. Governor Kathy Hochul mentioned it on Wednesday during a round table discussion about mental health and smart phone usage in schools.

"I’m very proud of our efforts to rein in the addictive algorithms," said Hochul.

The state law will require platforms to restrict addictive feeds for children younger than 18, unless parental consent is given. It will also turn off social media alerts for kids between the hours of midnight at 6am.

The New York State Office of the Attorney General is working on the regulatory process of the law.