Full Breakdown
Senator Ted Cruz Backs Kids Online Safety Act, Advancing Federal Oversight of Social Media
5/13/2026, 5:29:26 AM
Cruz Backs Kids Online Safety Act
On May 12, 2026, Senator Ted Cruz announced his support for the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill that would require social-media companies to exercise reasonable care when designing features that could harm minors. Speaking at an event outside the U.S. Capitol with parents who said they lost children to online harms, Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said the measure will move through his committee and onto the Senate floor.
Legislative Context and Prior Efforts
The Kids Online Safety Act has not yet received a formal vote in the Senate Commerce Committee during the 119th Congress, even though similar proposals have been introduced before. Cruz previously backed comparable legislation but did not arrange a formal committee vote. The act’s text lists specific harms—eating disorders, depression, and sexual harassment of minors—and obligates platforms to take reasonable care to prevent those outcomes.
Timeline of Recent Developments
- May 12 2026 – Cruz announced support for the Kids Online Safety Act at an event outside the U.S. Capitol with parents of children affected by online harms.
- Prior to May 12 – The bill had not been scheduled for a formal committee vote in the 119th Congress.
Provisions and Platform Design Requirements
The legislation defines a set of harms—eating disorders, depression, and sexual harassment—and requires platforms to exercise reasonable care in feature design. If enacted, companies would need to modify how they design and present features to reduce the risk of those harms to minors.
Official Statements & Responses
Cruz told the assembled parents that the bill will be passed out of the Commerce Committee and then through the Senate. A spokesperson said his support is consistent with prior statements, but offered no details on the timing of a committee vote or next steps.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All three sources agree that Cruz has pledged support and that the bill targets specific harms to minors. None of the reports provide a date for a committee vote, the exact language of the proposed amendments, or any response from the social-media companies themselves.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are going to pass it out of the Commerce Committee, we're going to pass it in the Senate,” — Senator Ted Cruz
- “exercise reasonable care” — Kids Online Safety Act
- “The list of harms includes eating disorders, depression and sexual harassment of minors, among others.” — Kids Online Safety Act
- “consistent” — Spokesperson for Senator Ted Cruz
What’s Next
The next procedural step for the Kids Online Safety Act is a formal vote in the Senate Commerce Committee. If the committee approves the bill, it would then be considered by the full Senate. Social-media firms, child-advocacy groups, and policymakers are monitoring the process closely.
