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☆ Opinion: Restricting and monitoring social media won’t protect kids — here’s what will
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Opinion Michal Luria | Aliya Bhatia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But the bills mentioned by policymakers at a congressional hearing last month to address the problem — specifically, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act — may do more harm than good. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will be considering the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act on Thursday. Both KOSA and the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act also propose parental monitoring tools to help guardians observe their children’s online activities. Join us on Twitter and FacebookBut that’s not enough — social media platforms should continue taking active steps toward more thoughtful designs for young people. A parent might talk to their child about what they are doing online or respond to something they post on social media.

Persons: Michal Luria, Aliya Bhatia, Aliya Bhatia Tim Hoagland, — Organizations: Center for Democracy & Technology, CNN, US, American Psychological Association, Pew Research Center, Social Media, Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation, Research, Global, American Privacy, APRA, Federal Trade Commission, Social, Twitter

☆ TikTok, Facebook and YouTube sued by New York City for alleged harm to kids' mental health
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The suit alleges that Meta , Snap , ByteDance and Google (whose parent company is Alphabet ) knowingly "designed, developed, produced, operated, promoted, distributed, and marketed their platforms to attract, capture, and addict youth, with minimal parental oversight." They claim that New York's school districts and various health and social services have been severely impacted by children who have suffered negative mental health consequences stemming from their use of popular social media apps. "In collaboration with youth, mental health and parenting experts, we've built services and policies to give young people age-appropriate experiences, and parents robust controls." New York's lawsuit echoes similar allegations made against Meta, Snap, TikTok and Alphabet in litigation filed in 2022 in the Northern District of California. Meanwhile, a coalition of over 40 attorneys general filed a joint federal lawsuit against Meta alleging that its products are addictive and harm mental health.

Persons: Eric Adams, Adams, we've, Meta, it's, Snapchat, Mark Zuckerberg, Shou Zi Chew, Evan Spiegel Organizations: York City, Facebook, YouTube, Google, Meta, Northern District of, Social Locations: York, TikTok, U.S, New York, Los Angeles, California, Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ Why dragging tech CEOs in front of Congress might mean something this time
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But his consistent criticism of some of the real issues happening in Big Tech has sometimes reminded me of a classic Clickhole headline: "Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made a Great Point." Section 230 is controversial and has become a rallying point for some conservatives and others, who think it allows Big Tech to hide from criticisms that it isn't fair to all sides. Clearly, these big platforms haven't succeeded — sometimes motivated by a whole bunch of internal factors, including profit. AdvertisementBut if there were some magic bullet to stop child exploitation, I truly believe the companies would've used it by now.

Persons: —, Sen, Josh Hawley, Hawley, Mark Zuckerberg, flay, Sundar Pichai, Zuckerberg, Utah Sen, Orrin Hatch, Zuckerberg blinked, Meta, sextortion, Marsha Blackburn, Wednesday's, there's Organizations: Service, Big Tech, Republican, Business, Twitter, Google, Facebook, Street, Meta, ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation Locations: Big, Missouri, Utah, Florida, Tennessee

☆ Congress hasn’t been able to make social media safer. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This has been true since the early 2010s, when tech companies began realizing the benefits of influencing policymakers on issues including net neutrality and privacy. This week, Microsoft announced its support for the Kids Online Safety Act, a leading social media bill. Even when lawmakers can agree on what the problem is, they often disagree on how to solve it, creating a smorgasbord of half a dozen or more social media bills floating around Congress. That would be a huge down payment on a future social media law, said Balkam. But even that proposal is still subject to many of the same dynamics that make social media regulation hard.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Danny Weiss, Ben Thompson, Adam Kovacevich, “ That’s, hasn’t, Republican stonewalling, Weiss, Kovacevich, ” Kovacevich, I’m, ” Weiss, Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Schumer, Nancy Pelosi’s, “, Johnson didn’t, Evan Greer Organizations: Washington CNN, Big Tech, Tech, Sense, Microsoft, Kids, LinkedIn, of, Republican, CNN Locations: Washington, United States

☆ Lawmakers to grill CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media firms at hearing on child safety
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel and other leading social media executives face a grilling on Wednesday from lawmakers concerned about child exploitation and safety on their services. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have blasted the companies for failing to properly address what some have called a "plague of online child sexual exploitation" on social media apps. Wednesday's hearing is focused specifically on issues pertaining to child exploitation and the prevalence of child sexual abuse material on social media. The social media executives are expected to detail their efforts combating child exploitation on their platforms, which include working with law enforcement and tasks like proactively identifying potential predators. Watch: Early Meta platforms investor Brad Gerstner tackles big tech ahead of key earnings week

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, —, Shou Zi Chew, Jason Citron, Sen, Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, S.C, Citron, Meta, Brad Gerstner Organizations: Meta, U.S, Senate, Intelligence, Capitol, Washington , D.C, TikTok, Spiegel, Google YouTube, Committee, Lawmakers, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union Locations: Washington ,, Washington, . New

☆ Meta, X, TikTok, Snap and Discord face growing appetite in Congress for tighter social media regulation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

(L-R) Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. Tillis and other lawmakers accused the tech executives of failing to protect children from sexual exploitation on their respective social media platforms. Growing appetite for regulationTo be sure, both Republican and Democratic senators were united in their conviction that social media firms are failing the American public and directly harming young people. Still, it takes time for bills to get passed, and all of these social media firms are still getting slammed for child-safety related issues, which could keep the topic fresh in the minds of politicians. Watch: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to parents at online child safety Senate hearing.

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, Linda Yaccarino, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Alex Wong, Sen, Thom Tillis, Tillis, Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg, Tom Cotton, Chew Organizations: Dirksen, Facebook, Republican, Democratic, Meta, New, Apple, Lawmakers, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Washington , DC, Cambridge, China

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☆ Lawmakers update Kids Online Safety Act to address potential harms, but fail to appease some activists, industry groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Late last year, dozens of civil society groups warned Congress against passing the bill, warning it could further endanger young internet users in different ways. Blumenthal's office said it did not believe the duty of care would have applied to those sorts of groups, but opted to clarify it regardless. Moreover, parental guidance in minors' online lives is critical, but KOSA would mandate surveillance tools without regard to minors' home situations or safety. The bill also faced criticism from several groups that receive funding from the tech industry. "Protecting young people online is a broadly shared goal.

☆ Lawmakers show rare bipartisan unity in pursuing protections for kids online
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee found rare alignment at a recent hearing about how Congress can help protect kids from online harms. They're speaking out in support of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would require sites likely to be accessed by kids 16 or younger to maintain certain privacy and safety protections by default. "We must and we will double down on the Kids Online Safety Act," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said at the hearing. Though lawmakers have shared similar goals in other discussions around regulating tech, when it comes to protecting kids online, they're more united in the types of action they want to see take place. However, a bill that recently passed the state's House of Representatives removed that provision, instead allowing for consumers to sue social media companies that knowingly cause harm.

☆ Kids Online Safety Act may harm minors, civil society groups warn lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ranking Member Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) speaks during a Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security hearing on Protecting Kids Online: Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube on October 26, 2021 in Washington, DC. Dozens of civil society groups urged lawmakers in a letter on Monday against passing a bill that aims to protect children from online harm, warning the bill itself could actually inflict further danger on kids and teens. The American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Fight for the Future and Wikimedia Foundation were among the groups that wrote to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Ranking Member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., opposing the Kids Online Safety Act. Sites would have to let their young users know when parental tools are in effect. The KOSA opponents warned that prescriptive parental controls could be harmful to kids in abusive situations.

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