Seven years ago, David Molak, a 16-year-old former Alamo Heights student, took his own life following relentless cyberbullying.
This tragedy rocked the San Antonio community. David was so full of life, with so much ahead of him, and the specter of online harassment haunts all parents and students. Out of this tragedy came remarkable bipartisan legislation that has undoubtedly saved lives and prevented suffering. This is David’s legacy.
First, state lawmakers passed David’s Law, which took effect in 2017, and then came David’s Law 2.0, which took effect in 2021. David’s Law accomplished many things, but perhaps most significantly it requires school districts to investigate off-campus cyberbullying and to notify parents when their child is a victim, witness or an aggressor. David’s Law 2.0 requires schools to teach about cyberbullying, create committees to address online harassment and regularly survey school culture.
Now, at the federal level comes the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA. The Legislation puts kids first in the digital space, and would require tech and social media companies to default to the most stringent privacy and safety settings, rather than having youth and parents navigate (or not) often complicated platforms.
This legislation deserves unanimous support from federal lawmakers. The digital space is real life for many children and teens, and their mental health, safety and well-being must always be the priority.
San Antonio Express-News
