WASHINGTON — A bipartisan effort is underway on Capital Hill in Washington, as senators call for the passage of legislation to regulate big tech and social media platforms.

They say the goal is to provide online safety for children — it is a cause one local teen is advocating for at the state level in Florida, after the heartbreaking loss of a friend to suicide.

What You Need To Know

  • ​After a friend's suicide, 15-year-old Chloe Furr is advocating for new legislation to combat cyberbullying

  • She says it's a cause that is very dear to her

  • She shares her story

Chloe Furr, 15, has been a hockey player since the age of five and recalls the admiration she had for one player on her older sister’s travel hockey team: 16-year-old goalie McKenna Brown.

“Kenna was my mentor for the longest time,” Furr said. “She taught me how to do a lot of goalie things. She always lifted me up.”

Furr said Brown was a leader on the team — not to mention beautiful and kind — which made it difficult for many to understand her death last year by suicide.

“To lose somebody that I looked up to, that I wanted to be like for a while, it was heartbreaking,” Furr said.

Brown’s family said online bullying, which included being harassed with messages via text and social media, played a role in her suicide.

A new study released by the CDC shows just how prevalent the problem is, with 16% of teenagers reporting they’ve been electronically bullied, and 22% saying they’ve seriously contemplated suicide.

Now, a renewed effort in the U.S. Senate is mounting to hold big tech responsible, as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee call for legislation to regulate social media platforms.

“This is an epidemic,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham. “It is a mental health crisis.”

“It’s a lucrative business at the expense of our kids’ privacy, safety and health,” said Sen. Dick Durbin. “We don’t have to take it.”

Furr says she feels the same way and has become somewhat of an activist herself, traveling to Tallahassee just last week with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Furr wants state lawmakers to take up the cause as well and hold cyberbullies more responsible for their actions.

“I felt important, and I felt that I was meant to be there,” Furr said of meeting with lawmakers.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.