Big Tech spends $41.8 million lobbying to block child-online safety bill

The Kids Online Safety Act cleared a Senate committee and later the full Senate with a 91-3 vote, but its progress stalled in the House, where a softened version was produced after a massive lobbying push by tech giants. Issue One’s analysis reveals that companies spent more than $230,000 each day on lobbying from April through June, amounting to $41.8 million, while Meta alone spent $26.29 million on federal lobbying last year and hired 89 lobbyists.

The industry’s public-relations effort has framed the bill as a threat to free speech, especially for conservative voices, despite the legislation’s emphasis on stronger default privacy, parental tools, and limiting addictive design features for minors. Critics worry the bill could force platforms to over-censor lawful content to avoid liability, but supporters note that it does not dictate political viewpoints and aligns with longstanding legal protections for children. The debate therefore centers on corporate responsibility for child safety rather than a wholesale attack on free expression.