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- calendar_today November 9, 2026
Alaska Joins Nationwide Effort to Protect Minors Online
Alaska’s acting attorney general, Cori Mills, has joined a bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general from across the country in calling for stronger online safeguards to protect minors. This action comes as Congress has stalled on legislation aimed at increasing technology companies' accountability for child safety on their platforms.
Federal Legislation Sought After Cyberstalking Cases Involving Alaska Minors
The push for strengthened protections follows the resolution of a major federal case last year, in which over 60 minors, primarily from Juneau, were victims in a cyberstalking and child sexual abuse material case. Kaden Ollila, a Washington resident, was sentenced in August 2025 to 20 years in prison after authorities found he had distributed explicit images of minors online and harassed dozens of victims using social media. Some victims were located in Northern California, although many were from Southeast Alaska, especially Juneau.
In another recent case, Craig Scott Valdez from Anchorage was indicted and arrested in Juneau on charges related to child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, with federal investigators alleging he used Snapchat to identify and groom underage girls. Authorities believe multiple minors in Juneau were targeted, although indictments do not establish guilt.
Kids Online Safety Act: Provisions and Local Support
The coalition is specifically advocating for the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would set mandatory safety standards for social media and online gaming platforms. The legislation would also enable states to enact further protections. A key aspect is the "duty of care" provision, requiring tech companies to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm to minors—including sexual exploitation, harassment, and compulsive use—arising from their platforms' design.
Acting Attorney General Mills emphasized the importance of preventative measures, stating, “This effort to strengthen online safety measures for our children is one of the most important issues we can address today.” Her office argues that while lawsuits and settlements can deliver compensation after harm occurs, establishing broad protections can help prevent such incidents altogether.
Both of Alaska’s U.S. senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, are co-sponsors of the Kids Online Safety Act. Senator Sullivan voted to advance the bill in the Senate Commerce Committee in August, citing the need for more accountability to shield young users from harmful experiences on social media platforms.
Debate Over Federal Online Safeguard Legislation
Despite bipartisan support, the Kids Online Safety Act has faced obstacles. On September 30, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky halted efforts to pass the bill by unanimous consent, raising concerns that the law could push technology companies to overly restrict online speech to avoid liability. Civil liberties organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have also voiced worries about increased age-verification measures and the possible removal of lawful content.
Supporters of the bill counter that the intent is to target platform design decisions rather than the expression of individual users, and the legislation does not explicitly require age verification.
Meta’s Settlement and the Broader Push for Industry Standards
This legislative campaign comes in the wake of a multistate settlement with Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced in August. The agreement requires Meta to implement new child safety reforms, such as daily usage limits, restrictions on overnight access, and enhanced parental controls. The settlement includes up to $17.1 billion in payments to states, with Alaska expected to receive around $16 million, according to the state’s Department of Law.
While Meta has supported the settlement and called for broader adoption of similar practices across the tech industry, proponents of the Kids Online Safety Act argue that relying on company-specific settlements does not create consistent, enforceable protections. The coalition, led by attorneys general from Hawaii, Connecticut, Ohio, and Tennessee, urges Congress to establish mandated standards adaptable to evolving online platforms.
What’s Next for Online Safety in Alaska and Nationwide
For Alaska families and communities, the proposed federal standards could determine how technology companies are required to safeguard young users—moving responsibility from individual parents and states to the platforms themselves. Currently, no new federal mandates will be implemented unless Congress passes the pending Kids Online Safety Act and it is signed into law.
Source: juneauempire.com.
