(The Center Square)- Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, is co-sponsoring legislation designed to protect minors online.
The Kids Online Safety Act seeks to hold tech companies responsible for the content on their platforms and give parents the ability to control what their children view online. Platforms include social media.
In this bill, online platforms would be required to provide minors with the ability to hide their information, remove addictive product features and opt out of personalized algorithmic recommendations.
The bill would also enable parents to have new controls by providing a reporting channel to report harmful behaviors.
This act would mandate online platforms to prevent or reduce minors’ exposure to content that promotes suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and advertisements for tobacco and alcohol.
To ensure online platforms comply with the rules, this act would require independent audits and research into these companies to assess their impact on minors’ well-being.
Recent reports have highlighted the failure of online platforms to keep children safe from harmful content. In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta’s AI-powered chatbot had sexually explicit conversations with minors. The following month, Bloomberg detailed how Instagram recommended child groomers connect with minors who were using its app.
“As a parent and grandfather, I know it’s only getting harder to keep kids safe online,” Kelly said. “Too many families have seen the real harm social media can cause, from mental health issues to bullying and exploitation.”
“This [bill] will give parents more tools to protect their kids from dangerous content and finally hold tech companies accountable for putting profits ahead of kids’ safety,” he added.
Apple stated its support for this bill.
“Everyone has a part to play in keeping kids safe online,” said Timothy Powderly, senior director of government affairs at Apple. “We believe [this] legislation will have a meaningful impact on children’s online safety.”
Last year, this bill passed the Senate, but it failed to make it out of the House.
