Protecting Kids Online: A Far-From-Typical Political Climate
A Tense and Confrontational Meeting
Members of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee met Wednesday to discuss what’s typically a highly bipartisan topic: protecting kids online. But in a far-from-typical political climate, the mood was tense and confrontational.
The Ongoing Crisis
Republican lawmakers are eager to revive a handful of bipartisan bills like the Kids Online Safety Act, which House Republican leadership blocked at the finish line last year. Many Democrats on the panel support these proposals, calling them an urgent response to a social crisis. But they’re raising a new question: as the Trump administration ignores congressional statutes and Supreme Court precedent to gut the federal government, will there be anyone left to enforce these laws?
The FTC Firings
Last week, President Donald Trump abruptly – and under current law, illegally – attempted to fire the two sitting Democratic commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya. The move left two Republicans on the commission, with one more expected to soon be confirmed. Like many agencies across the federal government, the FTC has seen recent staff cuts, though in far smaller numbers than many of the most prominent targets of the right. Even in the minority party, Slaughter and Bedoya warn that their removals will thwart transparency and accountability for any decisions made in their absence, and they’re planning to sue to return to their work. Without dissenting voices in the room, Slaughter and Bedoya have warned, there’s no one to push back and illustrate what alternative paths the FTC could have taken, or provide important context to the agency’s decisions.
A Constitutional Crisis
The questions about rule of law and who will enforce it extend far beyond the FTC. In empowering Elon Musk’s pet project, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Trump has deputized the richest man in the world to slash the federal workforce, and seek to shut down agencies created by congressional statute. Trump has asserted power over what are supposed to be independent agencies, including the FTC, and loyalists he’s appointed to run them have so far welcomed him to do so. Many experts say we already are or soon could be in a constitutional crisis, as Trump appears willing to flout everything from a law seeking to ban TikTok to court orders.
Conclusion
The future of protecting kids online is uncertain, as the Trump administration continues to disregard congressional statutes and Supreme Court precedent. The question remains: will there be anyone left to enforce these laws? The fate of the FTC, an agency tasked with regulating and enforcing laws related to children’s online safety, hangs in the balance. As the political climate remains tense and confrontational, it’s unclear whether bipartisanship will prevail or if the interests of children will continue to be sacrificed at the altar of partisan politics.
FAQs
Q: What is the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)?
A: KOSA is a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting kids online by requiring online platforms to put the best interests of children first.
Q: What is the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0)?
A: COPPA 2.0 is a bill that updates the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to better protect the online privacy of children and teens.
Q: Why is the FTC’s independence important?
A: The FTC’s independence is crucial in ensuring that it can carry out its duties effectively and impartially, without being influenced by political pressures or biases.
Q: What is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)?
A: DOGE is a pet project of President Trump’s, aimed at streamlining government agencies and reducing bureaucracy.
