RESEARCH LINKS
THE ‘KIDS ONLINE SAFETY ACT,’ or KOSA, would create “duty of care” requirements for tech companies to prevent and mitigate specific harms to minors, including promotion of suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and advertisements for certain products (e.g. tobacco and alcohol).
Issue One: Kids Online Safety Act
Congress.gov: S.1748, “Kids Online Safety Act” (KOSA)
Senate.gov: “Kids Online Safety Act” Fact Sheet
Heritage Foundation: “Don’t Let Empty Objections Stop the Kids Online Safety Act”
Time Magazine: “What to Know About the Kids Online Safety Act and Where It Stands”
Electronic Frontier Foundation: “KOSA Will Make the Internet Worse for Everyone”
Tech Policy Press: “How KOSA Has Evolved as Negotiations Ensue”
Issue Two: Stop Illegal Entry Act
Congress.gov: H.R.3486, the “Stop Illegal Entry Act”
House.gov: “Rep. Bice, Sen. Cruz, & Colleagues Introduce Stop Illegal Reentry Act”
House.gov: “The Cost of Illegal Immigration to Taxpayers”
National Immigrant Justice Center: “Stop Illegal Entry Act Explainer”
The Hill: “Kate Steinle’s Father: We Didn’t Coin ‘Kate’s Law’”
Center Square: “Republicans Introduce Bills to Increase Penalties for Illegal Crossings”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Issue One: Kids Online Safety Act
- What are the arguments in favor of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and its potential benefits for teenagers online? What are the potential drawbacks of KOSA (e.g., freedom of speech)?
- Do you feel that the KOSA legislation effectively balances the need to protect children online with the importance of free speech and expression? Why or why not?
- One of KOSA’s goals is to address the impact of the internet on youth mental health. Do you believe the bill effectively does this? Why or why not?
- If you were a member of congress, what changes (if any) would you make to the KOSA bill? Why?
- How have social media and online platforms affected you, your family, and/or friends? Lawmakers listen to personal testimonies and stories.
Issue Two: Stop Illegal Entry Act
- The United States shares 7,500 miles of land border with Canada and Mexico, as well as rivers, lakes, and coastal waters along both borders. What are some possible solutions to the challenges of immigration and border security in the U.S.?
- Should states be allowed to implement their own immigration policies, or should immigration enforcement remain a federal responsibility? Explain why.
- Is the “Stop Illegal Entry Act” the best policy solution to the problem, or are there alternative approaches to addressing illegal entry and immigration? If so, what might those be?
- How do you think the news media portrays immigration issues in the U.S.? What is the impact of that portrayal?
- How are business owners and the economy affected by current immigration policies, particularly in sectors reliant on immigrant labor?