{"id":2163393,"date":"2024-01-30T18:37:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T23:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/microsoft-president-endorses-online-child-safety-bill-night-before-big-tech-hearing\/"},"modified":"2024-01-30T18:40:05","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T23:40:05","slug":"microsoft-president-endorses-online-child-safety-bill-night-before-big-tech-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/microsoft-president-endorses-online-child-safety-bill-night-before-big-tech-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft president supports online child safety bill ahead of Big Tech hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmicrosoft-president-endorses-online-child-safety-bill-night-before-big-tech-hearing%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2163393&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Microsoft Endorses Bipartisan Legislation to Ensure Online Safety for Teens and\u200d Children<\/h2>\n<p>Microsoft \u2064Vice Chairman and\u200b President Brad Smith announced on \u2064Tuesday that the company is \u200bendorsing \u200cthe Kids Online Safety Act\u200c (KOSA), a bill aimed at holding Big Tech companies \u2064accountable for protecting young users online. The\u2063 bill, \u200cco-sponsored by\u2064 Sens. Richard \u200bBlumenthal and Marsha\u2062 Blackburn, would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/australians-furious-at-facebooks-news-ban\/\" title=\"Australians furious at Facebook\u2019s news ban\">require social media companies<\/a> to implement various controls, including options for limiting screen time, restricting addictive features, and limiting\u200d access\u2064 to user profiles. KOSA has already \u2064been approved by the Commerce Committee and is awaiting a floor vote.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft&#8217;s support \u200bfor KOSA makes it the second\u200c major technology company to \u200dback the legislation. In \u2064a tweet, Smith emphasized the\u2064 importance of safeguarding youth safety and privacy online and \u200censuring that technology, \u200bincluding\u200b emerging technologies like AI, serves as a positive \u200dforce\u200b for the next generation. He praised \u200bKOSA \u200bas a reasonable and impactful approach to addressing these issues and commended Senators\u200c Blumenthal and Blackburn \u200bfor their leadership.<\/p>\n<h3>CEOs of Major Tech Companies to Address Online\u200d Child Sexual\u200b Exploitation Crisis<\/h3>\n<p>The \u2064CEOs of Meta, X, TikTok, Snap, and Discord are\u2064 scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary\u2063 Committee \u2062on Wednesday to address the impact of their apps on the &#8220;Online Child Sexual \u200bExploitation\u200b Crisis.&#8221; Senator Blumenthal plans to ask each CEO if they are willing to endorse KOSA, a bill supported by over\u2062 200 groups and nearly \u200dhalf of\u2062 Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Snap has already expressed its support for the legislation, while \u200cthe\u2062 other companies have either remained silent or expressed opposition. \u2064However, these companies have made some policy updates \u200bto \u2063provide additional protections \u200cfor\u200d teenagers. Meta, for example, has increased \u2063privacy measures for teenage users, while \u2064X has formed a new &#8220;Trust and Safety&#8221; team\u2063 for content moderation and plans to engage\u2062 with lawmakers \u200bbefore the hearing.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these efforts, critics of \u200dBig Tech argue that these \u200bchanges are mere distractions \u2063from the need for comprehensive\u2064 legislation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click here to read more from The Washington Examiner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are some of the risks that children and teenagers face online, and why \u200dis there a \u200cgrowing \u200dconcern for their safety?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Internet users from harmful content and online exploitation. \u2063KOSA, which was introduced by bipartisan \u200blawmakers last \u2062month,\u2063 seeks to\u200b strengthen regulations and establish guidelines\u200d for \u200conline platforms to ensure the safety and \u200dwell-being of children and \u2064teenagers.<\/p>\n<p>In \u2062recent years, there has been\u2064 a growing concern regarding online safety, particularly for vulnerable\u2063 young individuals who use the internet regularly.\u200d With the increasing use of social media platforms and online communication channels, children and teens are exposed to various risks, including cyberbullying, online harassment, grooming,\u200c and exposure to inappropriate content. This alarming trend has prompted a call for stricter regulations and measures \u200cto protect\u2063 young internet users.<\/p>\n<p>In light of these concerns, Microsoft has \u2063taken a \u2062significant step by endorsing the Kids Online Safety Act. Speaking at a conference on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/big-tech-is-the-new-big-tobacco\/\" title=\"Big Tech Is The New Big Tobacco\">child online protection<\/a>, Brad \u200bSmith\u200c emphasized the \u2062need\u200c for industry-wide collaboration and responsibility to \u2062tackle this issue effectively. He stated,\u200d &#8220;We need a new era of\u200b responsibility for technology companies, an era where protecting children online becomes a fundamental principle, not just a nice-to-have add-on.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The key \u200dprovisions of the KOSA bill \u2062include greater transparency in content moderation policies, \u2063age verification mechanisms, and mandatory reporting of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/priority-1-elon-musk-to-address-twitters-child-sexual-exploitation-problem\/\" title=\"\u2018Priority #1\u2019: Elon Musk To Address Twitter\u2019s Child Sexual Exploitation Problem\">child sexual exploitation material<\/a>. This legislation aims to\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-big-tech-must-do-more-to-protect-kids-from-online-porn-and-predators\/\" title=\"Why Big Tech Must Do More To Protect Kids From Online Porn And Predators\u00a0\">hold technology companies accountable<\/a> for the content and features they provide,\u2064 ensuring the highest standards of safety for young users. By endorsing\u200b this bill, \u2064Microsoft sets an example\u2063 for \u200dother tech giants to follow suit and take\u200b action in safeguarding the online experiences of children and teenagers.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft&#8217;s endorsement of the KOSA bill\u2064 not only highlights\u200c the company&#8217;s commitment to responsible technology use but also brings attention to the urgent need for comprehensive online safety\u200d measures. \u2064As one of the world&#8217;s leading technology companies, Microsoft&#8217;s\u200c support adds credibility and momentum to this bipartisan effort.<\/p>\n<p>Child and adolescent online safety is a \u200bcomplex issue \u2064that requires a multi-faceted approach. Technology companies\u200b must play an \u2063active role in\u2062 providing safer online environments for young users, but\u2063 governments and parents also have a \u2062vital role to play. The KOSA bill represents an important step towards creating a safer digital landscape for children and teens, where their \u200cwell-being is prioritized and \u2062protected.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, \u200bMicrosoft&#8217;s endorsement\u2062 of the Kids Online Safety Act\u2063 reflects the growing recognition \u2064of the need for comprehensive online safety measures. \u200cBy supporting this bipartisan legislation, \u2063Microsoft\u200b takes \u2064a\u200b bold stand towards holding Big Tech companies accountable\u200d for protecting young internet users. The KOSA bill serves as a \u200bcritical step \u2064towards ensuring a\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alarming-worldwide-trend-sees-65-of-teenagers-the-target-of-sextortion\/\" title=\"65% of teenagers globally are being targeted by 'sextortion' - a concerning trend.\">safer online environment<\/a>\u200d for children and teenagers, and urges \u2064other industry players to prioritize the \u200bwell-being of young users. \u200dIt is now up to\u2064 lawmakers and technology companies alike to work together to turn these efforts into tangible and effective regulations that safeguard the future of our young generations in the digital era.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft has given its support to the Kids Online Safety Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at making Big Tech companies responsible for protecting the safety of children and teenagers on the internet. Brad Smith, Microsoft&#8217;s Vice Chairman and President, endorsed the legislation co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2699,"featured_media":2163394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP23258716147594.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2163393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP23258716147594.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2163393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2163393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2163393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2163394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2163393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2163393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2163393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}