DENVER, CO — Governor Jared Polis of Colorado recently vetoed Senate Bill 086 (SB-086), a proposed law aimed at protecting children from online harm, including sexual exploitation and the dangers of online drug trafficking. The bill, which gained bipartisan support in the state legislature, would have required social media platforms to implement stronger safeguards for children and cooperate with law enforcement to address online criminal activity.
Background of SB-086
SB-086 was introduced in 2025 following an alarming increase in cases involving online child exploitation and the proliferation of harmful content on social media platforms. Advocates for the bill, including parents’ groups and child safety organizations, argued that stronger regulation was necessary to protect vulnerable minors who spend significant amounts of time online.
The bill would have required social media companies to remove harmful content that specifically targets children, including explicit material, drug advertisements, and predatory behavior. It also sought to establish stricter age verification measures for platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and to ensure that platforms work with law enforcement to prevent child trafficking and abuse.
One of the key provisions of SB-086 was the creation of a task force designed to work with tech companies to monitor online behavior and enforce the removal of harmful content. Additionally, the bill would have allowed parents and guardians to receive notifications when their children interacted with potentially harmful content.
The Governor’s Veto: Political Pressure and Privacy Concerns
Despite strong support from child advocacy groups, SB-086 was vetoed by Governor Polis, who cited concerns about privacy and government overreach as key reasons for his decision. In his veto statement, Polis expressed concerns that the bill would infringe on the privacy rights of minors and could lead to a surveillance state, where every interaction on social media platforms is monitored and analyzed.
Tech industry lobbyists, including representatives from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), also pushed back against the bill, arguing that it would undermine digital freedoms and stifle innovation. These groups raised concerns that the bill would result in censorship, limit free speech, and set a dangerous precedent for government regulation of the internet.
Moreover, Polis argued that existing laws, such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), already provide a framework for protecting minors online and that SB-086 would duplicate these efforts while creating unnecessary burdens for social media companies. Polis stated that a more balanced approach, which involves collaboration between the government, tech companies, and privacy advocates, would be necessary to protect children while maintaining individual rights.
Bipartisan Support and Opposition
The veto has sparked debate across Colorado and beyond. On one side, lawmakers who supported the bill, including state senators from both parties, expressed disappointment with Polis’s decision. They argued that Colorado had an obligation to take stronger action in the wake of a rise in online predators targeting children. Some proponents of the bill pointed to high-profile cases of online grooming and exploitation that went unaddressed, claiming that stronger regulations were needed to hold tech companies accountable.
On the other side, opponents of the bill argued that it represented an overreach of government power. They feared that the law would lead to increased censorship, undermine the principle of free expression online, and create an intrusive system of monitoring digital activity. Critics also raised concerns about the potential for the bill to disproportionately impact marginalized communities, where the internet serves as a vital tool for communication and social connection.
The Broader Debate on Online Child Safety
Governor Polis’s veto highlights the ongoing tension between child safety and digital privacy in the modern age. As more children and teenagers engage with social media, the risks associated with online interaction have grown significantly. However, efforts to regulate the internet are often met with resistance from privacy advocates, who argue that too much government control could stifle innovation and limit freedoms.
The veto also comes at a time when similar legislation is being proposed in other states, particularly as concerns about the safety of children on the internet continue to grow. Some states, like California and Texas, are moving forward with their own child safety initiatives, but these laws differ significantly in their scope and approach.
While Polis’s veto of SB-086 may have slowed efforts to strengthen online child safety in Colorado, it has certainly not ended the conversation. Advocates for stronger protections will continue to push for comprehensive reform, while balancing the need to protect children with the importance of maintaining privacy and individual rights in the digital age.
