Musk faces early test of political power with online safety bill
Elon Musk’s eleventh-hour support for a child online safety bill is creating an early test of the tech billionaire and Trump ally’s influence on Capitol Hill. Musk called for the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)—a polarizing bipartisan bill intended to create more protection for minors online—after his social media platform, X, worked on changes with the bill’s Senate sponsors. Advocates for KOSA expressed optimism that Musk’s support could quell free speech concerns among members in the House, which has yet to vote on the bill with just weeks left in the lame-duck session. But Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has shown little sign of relenting on his concerns about KOSA, sparking questions over Musk’s ability to push the bill across the finish line. Musk, who calls himself a fierce advocate of free speech, and Donald Trump Jr. argued over the weekend that the updated Senate version of KOSA achieves members’ safety goals without hindering First Amendment rights.
Musk faces early test of political power with online safety bill