Project Guardian: Protecting Children Online

PHPI’s Project Guardian promoted federal legislation to protect children online. The team conducted in-depth research into two bills: the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Revising Existing Procedures On Reporting via Technology Act (REPORT Act). Guardian then used the research and legislative strategy they developed to advocate for these policies in the halls of Congress, communicating with many key Representatives and having personal meetings with the offices of Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) and Rep. Burgess Owens (R-OH).

The Kids Online Safety Act seeks to protect children from dangerous exposure and exploitation online through a number of tailored restrictions for minors using social media. KOSA tackles deceptive marketing, private communications with minors, and the lack of age restrictions to ensure safer social media use by children across the nation. 

Project Guardian contributed to KOSA's substantial progress in Congress, with the bill earning the bipartisan support of more than half of the Senate and making significant initial progress in the House. 20% of the key House staffers that Project Guardian contacted responded by advocating for the Kids Online Safety Act to their Representative.

Project Guardian also worked to promote the REPORT Act, which strengthens the reporting requirements for online child exploitation. This bill was designed to shine a light on child exploitation that currently goes unreported and unpunished. Accordingly, the REPORT Act received overwhelming bipartisan support. Congress passed the REPORT Act while Project Guardian was working on the bill. On the last day of the semester, the REPORT Act was signed into law.