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Parents and Senators Press Tech Firms, Seek Reforms After Teens’ Fentanyl Deaths
Summary
Parents who lost sons to fentanyl told the Senate Judiciary Committee social media platforms facilitate illicit pill sales; senators and witnesses urged reforms including the Kids Online Safety Act and legislation to allow families to sue platforms.
Parents who lost children to fentanyl-laced pills told the Senate Judiciary Committee that social media platforms have become a principal avenue for dealers to reach teens, and they urged Congress to remove legal protections that they say shield companies from liability.
Bridget Noring, founder of the Devin J. Noring Foundation, told senators her 19-year-old son died after buying a counterfeit pill over Snapchat. "If someone opened a brick and mortar store and sold these drugs to our children out of that store, we would be held accountable," Noring said. "Why do the same rules not apply to social media?"
Ranking Member Dick Durbin and other senators referenced bipartisan bills the Judiciary Committee advanced previously that would impose obligations on platforms and reduce immunity under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Durbin and Senator Amy Klobuchar urged passage of the Kids Online Safety Act (COSA) and related measures. Senator Ted Cruz and others framed legislation that would allow civil suits by victim families — proposals stakeholders described during the hearing as the Cooper Davis and Devin Noring Act and other accountability measures.
Witnesses described litigation already under way. Jaime Puerta said a California trial judge allowed a product-design-based lawsuit against Snapchat to proceed and that appellate review favored allowing discovery. "So right now, we are in discovery," Puerta said, adding that no similar case against a major platform had progressed as far.
Senators also discussed platform practices: parents testified that reports of illicit activity often produced automated responses or account takedowns that dealers quickly replaced by using burner phones, device changes or new accounts. Lawmakers repeatedly urged reforms that would make platforms more proactive in disrupting dealer networks, require safer-by-design features for young users, and give parents stronger legal remedies.
Ending: Committee members from both parties said they would pursue legislative and oversight options, including COSA, targeted liability reforms and continued scrutiny of platform practices.
