Design It For Us Statement on Senate’s Rejection of AI Moratorium

Today, the Senate made the right call by stripping the dangerous AI moratorium from the federal budget bill by a major 99-1 vote margin—and it’s a win for the entire country.

Design It For Us Co-Chair Zamaan Qureshi issued the following statement:

“This disastrous provision was never about protecting people. It was about yet another attempt by tech companies to evade accountability for their harmful impact. This provision would have blocked states from passing the kinds of social media and AI safeguards young people have been fighting for: laws that tackle algorithmic harm, invasive surveillance, privacy, and the unchecked power of platforms shaping our mental health, education, and futures.

This is a major win for digital safety advocates who came together to stop this, and we are glad to see the Senate respond to our pressure. From the outset, this moratorium was an attack on a nationwide movement demanding safer, more ethical tech. It would have silenced state efforts for a decade to do what is right for their communities and handed Big Tech a free pass to continue exploiting AI without rules. Instead, the Senate listened to our calls, our messages, and our momentum. 

But this fight isn’t over. The House must not revive this failed and unpopular idea in the budget bill or any other legislative attempt. We deserve a future where AI works for us, not against us. And we’re not backing down. As young people continue leading the charge for digital safeguards in statehouses and communities nationwide, Washington needs to catch up, not stand in the way. The future of tech is being shaped right now, and youth voices are front and center.”

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