Back to Press

Design It For Us Statement on the Kids Online Safety Act

Design It For Us issued the following statement after Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s remarks from March of this year surfaced.
Washington, DC· by Zach Praiss

“We are extremely disappointed in Senator Blackburn and condemn her transphobic and hurtful remarks. It is unfortunate that her personal beliefs have muddied the discussion on the Kids Online Safety Act – legislation that will protect young people from the real online harms we face.

The bill has undergone important revisions based on continuous input received from advocates, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. It holds Big Tech accountable for its harmful, profit-driven algorithms that continue to compromise the safety and well-being of young people, especially transgender youth.

We’re youth activists, not lawyers or lobbyists. We’ve learned through our advocacy that bipartisanship is the pathway to mitigate against online harms. Despite the political, logistical, and personal challenges of bipartisanship, however, we cannot give up hope for progress on online safety legislation. We’re concerned about what will happen to our youngest generations without meaningful reform. We urge the bill’s supporters to re-center the experiences of the young people who will be most impacted by this bill, no matter who they are.”

###

About Design It For Us

Design It For Us is a youth-led coalition advocating for policy for safer social media and online platforms for kids, teens, and young adults. The youth-led coalition is led by two Co-Chairs and a Core Team of young people between the age of 18 and 26. The coalition is supported by an array of youth activists, youth-led organizations, and advisors.

Submit your story

Accepted file types: jpg, png, mp4, mov, wmv, avi, Max. file size: 50 MB.
Consent(Required)