Sen. Ossoff Pushing to Protect Children’s Online Privacy

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is demanding answers after the cancellation of a program that protects kids’ privacy online.
Sen. Ossoff recently joined colleagues urging the Trump Administration to reverse funding cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a key agency tasked with coordinating cybersecurity programs in Georgia and across the U.S. and responsible for leading and improving cybersecurity protection across local, state and Federal governments.
Sen. Ossoff and the group also urged the Administration to reverse the suspension of the K-12 Cybersecurity Government Coordinating Council at the Department of Education responsible for collaborating with state and local education systems to share resources and information around cybersecurity threats.
“Eliminating these resources makes school systems more vulnerable to what would’ve been preventable threats under proper guidance and support,”Sen. Ossoff and the group wrote.“Students, faculty, and staff at K-12 schools should never have to fear that their personal safety and privacy is at risk. The federal government has a responsibility to protect high-risk sectors that are increasingly susceptible to cyberattacks, especially when the primary individuals at risk are minors.”
Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect children online.
In July, Sen. Ossoff cosponsored the bipartisanKids Online Safety Act, which would impose new requirements on digital platforms to protect children from being targeted online with harmful content.
In May, Sen. Ossoffcosponsoredthe bipartisanChildren and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act(COPPA 2.0) to limit use of children’s information for individually targeted advertising.
In 2024, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisanREPORT Actwith Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)became law, which — for the first time — requires websites and social media platforms to report crimes involving Federal trafficking and enticement of children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Since the law’s enactment, NCMEChas seena 952% increase in reports of child sex trafficking and a 77% increase in reports of online enticement of children.
Click hereto read the group’s full inquiry.
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