WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, led a legislative hearing titled Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online.

“For too long, tech companies have failed to adequately protect children and teens from the dangers of the online world. Today, we examined a suite of online safety bills designed to address the growing challenges facing our kids in the digital age,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “Parents, educators, and lawmakers all agree that meaningful, lasting protections are urgently needed—and today’s discussion marked an important step toward achieving them.”

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Neal Dunn (FL-02): “We’re living through a crisis right now. We’ve handed our children’s devices that are more powerful than the most powerful computers that sent men to the moon, but we’ve failed to install the digital equivalent of seatbelts and smoke detectors.”

Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15): “Digital technologies change so fast that even the most engaged parents struggle to keep up with the latest apps and features. That’s why the Promoting a Safe Internet for Minors Act would direct the FTC to launch a nationwide education campaign to help kids and parents learn how to stay safe.”

Congressman John James (MI-10): “Just as brick-and-mortar stores are held responsible for selling age restricted materials like tobacco or alcohol to minors, the App Store Accountability Act will hold digital app stores accountable for providing adult or addictive material to minors as well.”

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