Keeping Kids Safe Online

My Stop Online Predators Act protects children from abuse and harassment on gaming and social media sites

Children are spending more time than ever online. But Big Tech companies aren’t putting kids’ safety first.

In recent years, I’ve fought for—and won—landmark safety regulations on addictive algorithms, predatory data collection, and advanced AI. But there’s more to do.

Multiple disturbing investigations have found people using gaming and social media platforms to harm and abuse kids. In 2023 alone, Roblox— where over 40% of users are preteens—reported over 13,000 instances of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. 

One study found researchers were unable to create a Roblox test account with the name “Jeffrey Epstein” because it, along with 900+ variations, was already taken. For years, Roblox’s open chat function has allowed users of any age to post and privately message other users. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation warned Roblox’s voice chat feature allows online predators to groom victims and called Roblox “a tool for sexual predators” and “a threat for children's safety.”

But this problem extends far beyond one platform. Online gaming and social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X—have also become a major target for pedophiles. More than 300 million children worldwide are victims of some type of online sexual exploitation or abuse, and reports of child sexual abuse material has reached a record high.

My Stop Online Predators Act would protect kids by requiring platforms to turn off open chat functions by default for kids, so strangers can’t privately message them. It also requires kids’ profiles be set to private, so strangers can’t view them without a friend request; prevents kids from receiving direct messages without first accepting a friend request, which requires parental approval for users under 13; and requires parents to approve financial transactions connected to a child’s account.

This proposal is the latest step in my work to protect kids online; earlier this year, I passed the SAFE for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act, first-in-the-nation laws to protect children from addictive algorithms and predatory data collection on social media.

We can’t wait around for Big Tech to act. By mandating common sense measures to protect child safety, many of which have already been adopted by some social media platforms, this bill sends a clear message that we prioritize kids’ safety over profits.