U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Jon Husted, Mark Warner Lead Bill to Protect Children on Social Media

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced a bipartisan bill to empower parents to protect their children on social media platforms by providing them the right to know if their children are engaging in dangerous or risky interactions. Sammy's Law would require large social media platforms to permit parents to receive safety notifications through FTC-regulated third-party safety providers, giving them the tools to shield their children from harm.

"At just 16 years old, Sammy Chapman had his whole life ahead of him when he was approached by a drug dealer on social media who sold him drugs laced with fentanyl-an event which tragically led to his death. Had legislation been in place like Sammy's Law, which prevents social media companies from blocking third-party safety software for children, Sammy would likely still be with us today," said Senator Britt. "As parents and legislators, it's our job to protect our children and teens-our most vulnerable-in every way we can. In the age of social media and the challenges that come with it, Sammy's Law is a critical step towards protecting our children online by ensuring parents have access to the necessary tools to keep their children safe."

Sammy's Law was named after 16-year-old Sammy Chapman who lost his life to fentanyl poisoning. He was approached by a drug dealer through social media, who delivered drugs laced with a lethal dose of opioid fentanyl to his home. Sammy was unaware he was ingesting fentanyl and tragically lost his life.

"In Ohio and across the country, criminals are using social media to target our children-selling them dangerous drugs and exploiting them through sextortion while trying to bypass parents and other trusted adults. Tragically, teenagers Sammy Chapman from California and James Wood from Ohio are two of many young people who've fallen victim to these predators. Parents deserve to know what their kids are exposed to online and have the ability to protect them and save lives. Sammy's Law would put that authority back where it belongs-with families-and give parents the tools they need to keep their children safe," said Senator Husted.

Sammy's Law was introduced to give parents the tools to protect their children and other family members by requiring large social media platforms to make real-time application programming interfaces accessible to Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-registered third-party safety software providers and alerting parents when 15 specific instances or phrases arise that indicate eating disorders, suicidal ideation and sexual harassment.

"Parents are struggling to protect their kids from the harmful effects of social media, where children are more exposed than ever to cyberbullying, eating disorders, and other online threats to their wellbeing. Sammy's Law will give parents the choice to be alerted of concerning behaviors on social media, while protecting their personal information. I'm proud to join this bipartisan effort so parents have more resources to supervise their children's social media use," said Senator Warner.

Statements of Support:

"If Sammy's Law had been in place when a drug dealer reached out to our son via social media, he would still be alive. Sammy was poisoned with a lethal dose of fentanyl received from a drug dealer through social media," said Sam Chapman, father of Sammy Chapman.

"As parents who lost our only son, James, to online exploitation, we understand in the deepest way how devastating it is when systems fail to protect our youth. While our advocacy began in response to online harm, our mission has grown to encompass the overall safety, well-being, and protection of young people in every space they occupy, both online and in their everyday environments. Sammy's Law represents a meaningful and necessary step forward in prioritizing safety, prevention, and accountability. By empowering local communities to implement life-saving safety measures, this legislation acknowledges a simple but urgent truth: our children deserve to be protected wherever they are-on their devices, in their schools, and in their neighborhoods," said Tim and Tamia Woods, parents of James Woods.

James Woods was a 17-year-old senior from Streetsboro, Ohio, who took his own life after becoming a victim of sextortion through social media. These schemes use social media to target young victims and persuade them to share an explicit photo or video of themselves that is then used to extort them for money.

"Sammy's Law would have saved Nate's life. Nate was attacked over Snapchat, he received a Snapchat message from a classmate telling him 'To Kill Himself'. If Sammy's Law was in place at that time, I would have been immediately notified that Nate was in danger. I would have had the opportunity to intervene and protect Nate from further harm and Nate would be here today. Thank you, Senators Husted and Warner, for standing up to protect our children," said Rose Bronstein, a survivor parent, who lost her son Nate Bronstein due to severe cyberbullying over social media.

"The Senate introduction of Sammy's Law is a major step toward protecting children on social media. Through our work with families and schools nationwide, we have seen that third-party safety software saves young lives. This legislation will help protect children from severe social media-related harms like cyberbullying, sextortion, and drug trafficking while also strengthening privacy protections. We thank Senators Husted and Warner for their bipartisan leadership in advancing this critical, life-saving bill," said Marc Berkman, CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety.

Alexander Neville Foundation, Becca Schmill Foundation, Buckets Over Bullying, CADCA, Crime Victims United, Crimestoppers of Houston, D.A.R.E. America, Families Against Fentanyl, JED Foundation, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, National Crime Prevention Council, Organization for Social Media Safety, Parent ProTech, Parents Television and Media Council, Protect Young Eyes, Safe House, SafeProject, Social Media Victims Law Center, Stand for the Silent, The Village Mission and VOID all endorse Sammy's Law.

As a mom of school-aged kids, Senator Britt has made addressing America's youth mental health crisis a key policy focus over the past two years. In addition to introducing multiple pieces of bipartisan legislation protecting children and teens on social media, she has voted in support of other bills to empower parents and hold platforms accountable and joined her colleagues in repeatedly calling for action to discuss the harmful impacts of social media. Senator Britt is also proud to support Senator Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) Stop Sextortion Act, which would target offenders that threaten to distribute child sex abuse material (CSAM) to intimidate, extort or coerce children.

You can read the full text of the bill here.

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