It’s a scary world out there. Parents have to teach their children about so many things that can harm them. Crossing the street. Talking to strangers. Avoiding the bullies at school.

There’s no shortage of dangers. Children have to be given space to grow up and become confident, but parents always try to keep one eye open to approaching threats.

The newest generations have grown up with a threat that lies hidden in their otherwise safe homes: the dark mysteries of the internet. In the early days of the web, it was easy to limit access, but not so much now when everything in the world, good and bad, is just a tap away.

We’ve all read the horror stories. Predators lure the underage. Drugs find their way into innocent hands. Crime, always seeking an avenue, has capitalized on the wide-open web.

Last week, a rare bipartisan proposal was introduced in Congress: The Kids Online Safety Act. Sen. Mark Warner, one of 27 co-patrons, said the act “provides young people and parents wi...