In a series of recent and emotionally charged developments, the United States is grappling with how best to protect children from the growing dangers lurking in the digital world. The tragic story of Walker Montgomery, a Mississippi teenager who died by suicide after being sextorted online, has become a rallying cry for sweeping legislative reforms at both the state and federal levels. As lawmakers, tech companies, parents, and advocacy groups debate the best path forward, the stakes have never been higher for the nation’s youth.
Just days before the July 4th holiday in 2025, Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee led a pivotal effort in Congress to kill a proposed moratorium on state laws regulating artificial intelligence (AI). According to USA Today, this moratorium, tucked into a budget reconciliation bill, would have prevented states from enforcing almost any law targeting the rapidly evolving technology. Blackburn’s move was hailed by advocates as a bold stand against Big Tech’s relentless lobbying to stave off oversight, particularly when it comes to protecting children online.
"She was undeterred even in the face of relentless efforts by Big Tech to block oversight of its business practices and product designs — no matter how dangerous the results may be to children across this country," wrote Brian Montgomery, Walker’s father and a founding member of Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS), in a powerful opinion piece. Montgomery’s activism has been deeply personal ever since the loss of his son, who was just 16 when he fell victim to a sextortion scam on Instagram. The scammer, operating from Nigeria, convinced Walker to share an intimate photo, then threatened to distribute it to all his contacts unless he paid $1,000. The psychological torment lasted only two hours, but its impact was devastating and permanent.
Montgomery’s efforts have already led to significant legislative changes in Mississippi. The state passed two key bills: Walker’s Law (Mississippi House Bill 1196), which criminalizes sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion, and the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act (Mississippi House Bill 2531), which mandates age verification and parental consent for minors on social media, and limits how these platforms collect and use minors’ personal information. Both laws are named in honor of Walker and serve as models for other states considering similar protections.
Mississippi’s legislative push was further bolstered on August 18, 2025, when the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the state to begin enforcing its law requiring social media companies to verify users’ ages and obtain parental permission for minors. As reported by BBC, the Supreme Court’s order was issued without explanation or dissent, and it temporarily overrides a lower court’s block while legal challenges continue. Justice Brett Kavanaugh acknowledged that the law is "likely unconstitutional," but said that social media companies had not "sufficiently demonstrated" harm from the temporary enforcement order.
Major tech platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, have joined a coalition arguing that such laws infringe on the First Amendment rights of users. They urged the Supreme Court to block Mississippi’s law, warning of a chilling effect on free speech and access to information. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group, described the legislation as "well-intentioned but fundamentally flawed," echoing concerns about overreach and unintended consequences.
The debate has only intensified as more states move to implement similar laws amid rising fears over the safety and privacy of young people online. In June 2025, the Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring anyone wishing to access pornography websites to undergo a face scan or upload a government-issued ID for age verification. Adult content platforms like PornHub challenged the law, citing constitutional violations, but the Court sided with state officials who argued it was a necessary step to protect minors.
Mississippi officials have pointed to Walker Montgomery’s case and other high-profile incidents of "sextortion" as evidence of the urgent need for action. In a brief to the Supreme Court, the state argued, "The act requires what any responsible covered platform would already do: make ‘commercially reasonable’ efforts to protect minors — not perfect or cost-prohibitive efforts, but efforts of reasonable care based on a platform’s resources." Failure to comply can result in fines of $10,000 per violation and criminal penalties, signaling a new era of accountability for tech companies operating in the state.
But not everyone is convinced these measures will have the desired effect. Several LGBTQ advocacy groups have warned that mandatory age checks and parental consent requirements could make it harder for vulnerable youth to find supportive online communities. "Online platforms, including social media sites, offer safe spaces for individuals, including youth, to connect with others who share their identities, access information about LGBTQ+ issues and resources, and explore their gender identity and sexual orientation in a supportive environment," the groups told the court. There are fears that restricting access could isolate at-risk young people and inadvertently increase harm.
At the federal level, advocates like Brian Montgomery are pushing hard for the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senators Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. The legislation would require social media platforms to redesign their products and algorithms to protect children from addiction, exploitation, cyberbullying, suicide, and other dangers. KOSA passed the Senate in July 2024 by an overwhelming 91-3 vote but stalled in the House. In May 2025, it was reintroduced, renewing hopes for nationwide reform.
"This transformational bill would require social media platforms to change their product designs and algorithms that purposefully addict children, make them vulnerable to criminal exploitation and abuse and send them down dangerous rabbit holes of toxic content they never searched for in the first place," Montgomery explained, as cited by USA Today. He and other parent advocates argue that only robust federal action can force Big Tech to put children’s safety above profits, especially given the industry’s track record of resisting meaningful oversight.
As the courts and Congress wrestle with these complex issues, the human cost remains front and center. For families like the Montgomerys, every day without reform is another day that children are at risk of serious harm — or worse. The question now is whether lawmakers will seize this "remarkable opportunity to protect children and force social media platforms to use their incredible innovations to create a better, safer product," as Montgomery urges. The eyes of parents, advocates, and young people across the country are watching, hoping that Walker’s story will spark the change needed to prevent future tragedies.
