STOP The Parents Over Platforms Act
Child Safety Shouldn't Be Optional
When companies that have consistently failed to protect children from app-store harms enthusiastically endorse legislation, there is cause for alarm. The bill text makes clear why they are cheering.
A careful reading of the text shows that the Parents Over Platforms Act (POPA) was not written for families. It was written for the tech industry.
A Broad Coalition Of Child-Safety Advocates
Over 100 organizations and over 40 states have signed a joint letter to members of Congress strongly urging them to oppose the “Parents Over Platforms Act” (POPA, S. 4349/HR. 6333).
What is the Parents Over Platforms Act?
The Parents Over Platforms Act was recently introduced by Senators Jerry Moran and Jacky Rosen and Representatives Auchincloss and Houchin. We share their commitment to protecting children online. But a careful reading of the text shows that POPA was not written for families. It was written for the tech industry.
The coverage framework is built on an honor system. Developers simply self-report whether their app qualifies as a “Covered Application.” There is no verification process and no penalty for opting out. Even worse, the bill creates the perverse incentive for developers to eliminate any child protection they may have.
POPA’s core obligations apply only to limited applications that developers voluntarily classify as adult-only or as offering differentiated experiences for minors. As a result, the protections are largely illusory.
Under the bill, children can be enrolled in lengthy, non-negotiable terms of service that include arbitration clauses, liability waivers, recurring payment terms, and broad data-collection permissions, often granting developers access to a child’s location, contacts, photos, microphone, and camera. This directly conflicts with the basic legal principle that minors lack capacity to enter binding contracts.
POPA also does nothing to fix the broken app rating system that parents rely on every day.
You can read more details about the legislation our Joint Letter to Congress.
Who is opposing POPA?
Over 100 Organizations Opposing POPA from Over 40 Different States
A Butterfly Gets Her Wings Back Texas | Abolition Ohio Ohio |
Alabama Policy Institute Alabama | Alexander Neville Foundation Arizona |
All Girls Allowed Massachusetts | Alliance for a Better Future Washington, DC |
Allies Against Slavery Texas | Alternative Solutions Minnesota |
American Principles Project Virginia | American Youth Association California |
Anchor of Grace, INC Oklahoma | ANEW Life International Florida |
Better Screen Time California | Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition California |
Breaking Generational Cycles Oregon, California, and Texas | California Survivor Coalition California |
Campaign Against Human Trafficking Florida | Center for Arizona Policy Arizona |
Center for Online Safety Washington | Center for Responsible Technology Washington, DC |
Chains Interrupted Iowa | Cherish All Children Minnesota |
Child First Policy Center Utah | Christians United Against Human Trafficking Florida |
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women New York | Consumer Action California |
Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited (DA:NCE) California | David’s Legacy Foundation Texas |
Devin J Norring Foundation Minnesota | Digital Childhood Alliance Georgia |
Digital Childhood Institute Utah | Dr. Jill Manning Associates, PLLC Colorado |
Educate and Empower Kids New Mexico | Empowered Parents Utah |
Enough Abuse Massachusetts | Erik’s Cause California |
Ernestine’s Daughter Illinois | Family Policy Alliance Colorado |
Fight to End Exploitation Wisconsin | FLCAction Florida |
Foundation for Judicial Discretion Louisiana | Freedom Movement California |
Free NOLA, Inc Louisiana | Global Hope 365 California |
G-Rated School Utah | Healthy Screen Habits California |
Justice Society Idaho | Just Love Worldwide Maine |
Kansas Family Voice Kansas | Less than 3 South Carolina |
LifeStar Utah | Louisiana Family Forum Louisiana |
Love Never Fails California | Lynn’s Warriors New York |
Maryland Coalition Against Pornography Maryland | Massachusetts Family Institute Massachusetts |
MasterWord Services, Inc. Texas | Memorial Hermann Medical Group Texas |
Mentari New York and California | Michelle Johnson Consulting Louisiana |
More Too Life Florida | MY House Alaska |
National Center on Sexual Exploitation Washington, DC | New Englanders Against Sexual Exploitation Connecticut and Vermont chapters |
NC Stop Human Trafficking North Carolina | NH Traffick-Free Coalition New Hampshire |
NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking New Jersey | North Carolina Family Policy Council North Carolina |
North Dakota Family Alliance North Dakota | Not On Our Watch Texas Texas |
Nurses United Against Human Trafficking Florida | Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting Missouri |
Parents RISE! Oregon | ParentsSOS Massachusetts |
PA Unplugged Pennsylvania | Paving the Way Foundation Florida |
Poiema Foundation Texas | Power2Parent Union Nevada |
Project STAND Montana | Protect Young Eyes Michigan |
Public Square Strategies Florida | Quickening California |
Reflective Spaces Ministry, Corp. Florida | Resiliency Foundation Indiana |
Scarlet Road Washington | Shared Hope International Washington and Washington, DC |
Social Media Harms LLC Georgia | Southwest Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking Florida |
Stand Against Trafficking USA North Carolina | State Representative Brandon Guffey South Carolina |
State Representative Ellen Troxclair Texas | Stop Predatory Gambling Massachusetts |
Street Grace Georgia, Arizona, Texas, and Tennessee | Sudbury for Digital Balance Massachusetts |
Survivor Leader Network of San Diego California | Talk More. Tech Less Texas |
Tech Safe Solutions LLC Oklahoma | TexProtects Texas |
The Carson J. Bride Effect Arizona | The Dragonfly Harbor Louisiana |
The Institute for Family Studies Virginia | The Stop Trafficking Project Kansas |
The WellHouse Alabama | Tin Man Ministries Rhode Island |
TJP Advocacy Texas | Truth In Education Georgia |
Turning Life On Massachusetts | Unbound Now Louisiana and Texas |
Utah Citizens for the Constitution Utah | Utah Parents United Utah |
Walk Her Home Pennsylvania | Wealth Management Ministries-Prevention Works Joint Task Force and Coalition Virginia |
Wisconsin Family Action Wisconsin | Wyoming Family Alliance Wyoming |
Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force Montana | Zoe Ministries Delaware |