Riley Basford

Photo submitted

BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – While describing her trip to Washington, D.C. worthwhile, Mary Rodee left the nation’s capital with doubts about senators and CEOs from major social media platforms taking a serious look at the dangers of online pressures placed on children.

Rodee, the mother of Riley Basford, a Potsdam teenager who took his life in an online sextortion scam in 2021, wanted to see first-hand what a new education campaign called Parents SOS (Parents for Safe Online Spaces) had to offer.

Rodee, a teacher at Canton Central School, and other parents, attended a Jan. 31 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing featuring CEOs from major social media platforms, including Meta, TikTok, Discord, and Snap, who addressed their companies' roles in safeguarding children online.

Confused by politics

“Hearing the frustrations the senators feel about the situation is confusing. Them saying we put bill after bill out of this committee and big tech kills them all. Why would a senator ask unchecked CEO's to let him know what parts of any of the online safety bills they would agree to? I can't even wrap my mind around how any of this works. There's obviously so much lurking in the bushes, so much back door decision making and back scratching,” Rodee remarked. “ The CEOs lied under oath, it's all incomprehensible and there are points it feels like further trauma. I find myself questioning whether the lawmakers are as guilty as big tech.”

“The rally was a good experience, the young adults are very moving. One particular group wore shirts that said, I'm worth more than $270 since internal Meta documents show them assessing young users as a $270 profit per year. Meeting and spending time with the whistle blower Arturo Bejar was incredible, real validation that the lack of transparency and checks was great,” she continued.

Rodee spent the next day experiencing the city but with a heavy heart.

“I love seeing the places and offices and being in the capitol. Riding the trolley and subway under the capital, being in the rotunda, being in the city, it should be fun and feel exciting but I can't get there,” she stated. “Meeting new parents each trip while also continuing to get to know the mom's who have forged this path before me and learning that some of them have been fighting this for 12 years is unbelievable.”

Disturbed by Senators

Rodee is also disturbed by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles “Chuck” Schumer” refusal to meet with her to discuss. KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act).

“Knowing that the predators who did this to Riley continue to do it to others while Gillibrand and Schumer never take my meeting requests. This time Gillibrands staffer was "new to the team". Schumer's staffer said, "it's hard to get floor time." It's all meeting to meeting to meeting to listen to double talk,” said Rodee. “Schumer is quite literally holding KOSA hostage while more kids get harmed every minute.

Her meeting with Congresswoman Elsie Stefanik, however, was a pleasant experience.

 “Rep. Stefanik is great to talk with and her staff are hospitable and helpful. Elise says that she will support KOSA when it gets to the House, but it's easy to say that to our grief stricken faces when there's no bill in the house yet,” Rodee noted. “I hope the hearings prove to everyone that they are not going to stop addicting people and using us as profit.”

Accountability needed

Rodee praised the mission of KOSA as the world deals with an ever-changing social media industry.

“We need KOSA because KOSA puts accountability on good design practices. There have been no internet laws in 25 years, we know the industry is changing rapidly, the number of children harmed is growing exponentially,” she said. 

“I would really appreciate NY constituents calling Schumer and Gillibrand and telling them that you want KOSA, if someone needs a script, I'll give them one,” Rodee said.

The main goal of Parents SOS is to raise awareness around the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and really bring home the human-interest framing and highlight the lives of families who have been permanently altered by online harms.

“Social media companies profit off our children at the expense of their wellbeing and safety. We’ve come together to form Parents SOS because we refuse to let any other family experience this devastation. We are empowered by the memories of our beautiful children, turning pain into action,” a statement from Parents SOS says.

The family has established the Riley Basford Legacy Fund through the Northern New York Community Foundation. The charitable mission and purpose of the fund is to support youth in their pursuit of safe and meaningful experience throughout their lives and in the community.

The fund supports three important focus areas. A top priority is to provide funding for education,training, and awareness to St. Lawrence County school for programs and projects centered on cyberbullying and cyber safety, anti-bullying and character education.

Rodee and Riley's father, Darren Basford have said the best way to remember Riley is to foster strong relationships with youth and educate all community members about the hazards of social media.