In a rare bipartisan effort, Senators Katie Britt, R-Alabama, Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and Mark Warner, D-Virginia, have introduced legislation aimed at giving parents more insight into their children’s social media activity after a series of preventable deaths.
The proposal, known as Sammy’s Law, would require large social media platforms to let third-party safety software providers regulated by the Federal Trade Commission access real-time data through application programming interfaces, or APIs. The goal is to alert parents when signs of suicidal ideation, drug-related communications or sexual exploitation appear in a child’s online activity.
“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,” Britt said. “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.”
Britt described the legislation as both a parental rights issue and a public safety measure, saying technological safeguards must keep pace with the risks children face online.
“As parents and legislators, it’s our job to protect our children and teens—our most vulnerable—in every way we can,” she said. “Sammy’s Law is a critical step toward protecting our children online by ensuring parents have access to the necessary tools to keep their children safe.”
The bill is named for Sammy Chapman, a California teenager who unknowingly ingested fentanyl-laced drugs purchased through a social media contact. His death is one of a growing number of cases linking online platforms to drug trafficking networks targeting minors.
Husted said social media has become a gateway for criminal exploitation, including sextortion and cyberbullying.
“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,” Husted said. “Parents deserve to know what their kids are exposed to online and have the ability to protect them and save lives.”
Warner said the legislation seeks to give parents optional tools without broadly compromising user privacy.
“Sammy’s Law will give parents the choice to be alerted of concerning behaviors on social media, while protecting their personal information,” Warner said. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort so parents have more resources to supervise their children’s social media use.”
Under the bill, platforms would have to allow third-party safety providers to notify parents when they detect 15 categories of high-risk behavior or language, including references to eating disorders, self-harm, drug activity and sexual exploitation.
Families affected by those issues have become some of the bill’s strongest supporters. Sam Chapman, Sammy’s father, said the legislation could have changed the outcome for his son.
“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,” Chapman said.
Tim and Tamia Woods, whose son James died after being targeted in a sextortion scheme, also backed the legislation.
“Sammy’s Law represents a meaningful and necessary step forward in prioritizing safety, prevention, and accountability,” they said.
Rose Bronstein, whose son Nate died after severe cyberbullying, said immediate alerts could have allowed her to step in.
“If Sammy’s Law was in place at that time, I would have been immediately notified that Nate was in danger,” Bronstein said. “I would have had the opportunity to intervene and protect Nate from further harm.”
The legislation has drawn support from advocacy groups including the National Crime Prevention Council, Families Against Fentanyl and the Organization for Social Media Safety.
“Third-party safety software saves young lives,” Marc Berkman, chief executive officer of the Organization for Social Media Safety, said. “This legislation will help protect children from severe social media-related harms like cyberbullying, sextortion, and drug trafficking while also strengthening privacy protections.”
Britt, who has made youth mental health and online safety a focus of her Senate tenure, also has backed related efforts such as Senator Chuck Grassley’s Stop Sextortion Act.
The proposal is likely to face scrutiny from privacy advocates and technology companies concerned about data access and user protections.
Whether Sammy’s Law can advance in a crowded and politically contentious technology policy environment remains unclear. But supporters say the human cost of online harm may help the measure break through partisan gridlock.
