Kristin Bride Presses Kids Online Safety Bill 2 Years After 16-Year-Old Son's Suicide
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 6
Kristin Bride Presses Kids Online Safety Bill 2 Years After 16-Year-Old Son's Suicide
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 6
Summary
Kristin Bride says she is still pushing Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, even though the measure stalled after clearing the Senate in 2024.
Bride became an online-safety advocate after her 16-year-old son Carson died by suicide in 2020 following cyberbullying, despite limits she says she placed on his phone and app use.
The documentary "Your Attention Please," released on 6 October, uses Bride's campaign to argue that platforms such as Meta and TikTok profit from addictive design that rewards extreme, attention-grabbing behavior.
Experts and schools featured in the film point to broader reform efforts, from Vivek Murthy's call for warning labels to phone-locking policies and phone-free events aimed at reducing compulsive use.
Bride says the political outlook has worsened as tech billionaires gain influence, but she and other advocates plan to keep pressing for legislative and cultural change.