A group of grieving parents is taking a more direct approach in Washington, arguing that the conversation around online safety has gone on long enough—and now needs action.
Roughly 70 families gathered on Capitol Hill this week, many holding photos of children they say were harmed or killed בעקבות interactions that began on major tech platforms. Their message wasn’t subtle. They’re no longer just sharing stories—they’re pointing to recent courtroom outcomes as proof that companies can be held accountable.
Julianna Arnold, who founded Parents RISE! after losing her 17-year-old daughter to fentanyl poisoning linked to a contact made on Instagram, described a shift in momentum. In her view, parents are no longer treating social platforms as neutral spaces but as environments that can expose minors to real-world danger. Her focus has turned to how these platforms are built, not just how they’re used.
That argument picked up weight after recent jury decisions. In one case, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a lawsuit involving harm tied to platform use. In another, Meta was ordered to pay $345 million in a case involving failures to prevent child exploitation. Both companies have said they will appeal, disputing the claims and the broader characterization of their platforms.
For advocates, those rulings changed the tone of the debate. Instead of arguing hypotheticals, they now point to legal findings suggesting companies may bear responsibility for how their systems operate and what they allow.
At the center of the policy push is the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). The bill would impose a “duty of care” on tech companies, requiring them to design platforms with minors’ safety in mind. It has broad bipartisan support on paper—74 Senate co-sponsors—but has stalled in committee and hasn’t reached a full vote.
That gap between support and action is where frustration is building.
Arnold and others are pressing Senate leaders, particularly Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, to move the bill forward. Their argument is that hearings and testimony have already established the problem, and further delay only extends risk.
Tech companies, for their part, say they are making changes. Meta has pointed to new features like teen-focused account settings and ongoing research into platform safety. But for the families gathered in Washington, incremental updates aren’t enough.
