Attorney General Jay Jones Advocates for Stronger Guardrails Around Internet Safety

Attorney General Jay Jones Advocates for Stronger Guardrails Around Internet Safety 

Joins coalition of Attorneys General in letter opposing bill that would weaken digital safety for Virginia’s children  

RICHMOND, Va. — Today, Attorney General Jay Jones joined a coalition of Attorneys General writing in opposition to the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act), H.R. 7757. Despite its name, the law fails to hold social media companies accountable for keeping  young people safe from the proven harms of online platforms, including social media, and would undermine state laws already on the books. 

“The KIDS Act is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, claiming to protect young Virginians online when in reality this bill will put children’s social media health in the hands of the companies that are currently attempting to skirt existing state law through their platforms,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “This bill is an attempt to step over the authority of both parents and guardians as well as the states’ enforcement powers. Virginia’s children deserve to be protected from unscrupulous Big Tech companies, and this office will use every legal tool available to fight for them.” 

The KIDS Act inadequately covers a wide swath of online policy. Its provisions allow Big Tech companies to deny responsibility for what happens on their platforms, and prioritizes their own growth and profits over the well-being of minor users. Other parts of the bill effectively eliminate critical age verification standards for covered platforms and creates glaring loopholes around AI chatbots that endanger our young people.  

Research consistently demonstrates the damage and negative mental health consequences of unfettered and unregulated access to online platforms like social media by young people. Instead of creating additional opportunities for states to intervene and protect children from these harms, the KIDS Act is another attempt by the federal government to grab power and limit state authority to put children over profits.  

Attorney General Jones is proud to stand with 43 other Attorneys General across the nation to oppose the KIDS Act. Joining Attorney General Jay Jones in this letter are the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, North Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

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