The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation aimed at protecting children from harmful online content, moving forward with what would be the first major congressional effort in decades to hold technology companies more accountable for the harm they cause.
The bill, passed 91-3 on Tuesday, was championed by parents of children who have died by suicide following online bullying or who have been harmed in other ways by online content. It would force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm on online platforms frequently used by minors, requiring them to exercise a “duty of due diligence” and ensure they generally adopt the safest settings possible.
The Chamber of Deputies has not yet commented on the project. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said he is “committed to working to find consensus” but has not indicated whether he will bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Supporters hope the strong vote in the Senate will prompt the House to act before the end of the Congressional session in January.
President Joe Biden encouraged the House to send the legislation to his desk “without delay.”
“Today, our children are subjected to an online Wild West, and our current laws and regulations are insufficient to prevent it,” Biden said. “It is past time to act.”
The legislation aims to allow children, teens and parents to “take back control of their lives online,” said Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who wrote the bill with Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. He said the message to big tech companies is that “we no longer trust you to make decisions for us.”
Pressure on technology companies
The bill would be the first major technology regulatory package to be passed in years and could pave the way for other bills that would strengthen online privacy laws or set parameters for the growing use of artificial intelligence, among others.
While there has long been bipartisan support for the idea that the biggest tech companies should face more government scrutiny, there has been little consensus on how this should be done. Congress passed legislation earlier this year that would force Chinese social media company TikTok to sell or face a ban, but that law only targets one company.
“This is a good first step, but we still have more to go,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat.
If the Child Safety Act becomes law, companies will be required to mitigate harm to children, including bullying and violence, promoting suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and advertising illegal products, such as narcotics, tobacco or alcohol.
To do this, social media platforms would have to provide minors with options to protect their information, disable addictive product features, and opt out of receiving personalized algorithmic recommendations. They would also be required to limit other users’ communications with children and limit features that “enhance, sustain or extend the use” of the platform – such as auto-playing videos or platform rewards.
The idea, say Blumenthal and Blackburn, is that platforms are “secure by design.”
“The message we are sending to Big Tech is that children are not their product,” Blackburn said at a news conference as the Senate passed the bill. “Children are not your source of profit.”
‘Risks remain unresolved’
Several technology companies, including Microsoft, X and Snap, supported the legislation. But there was also criticism that signaled a potential lobbying campaign aimed at the Chamber.
Carl Szabo, vice president and advisor at NetChoice, a technology industry group that represents X and Snap, along with Google, TikTok and Meta Platforms, said in a statement that “the cybersecurity, censorship and constitutional risks of the law remain unresolved.” He did not give further details.
And Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement that it supports the development of standards but would prefer that legislation require app stores to get parental approval when teens download apps.
Blumenthal and Blackburn said they wanted to put the burden on companies, not parents. They also worked to strike a balance between forcing companies to become more responsible for what children see online while ensuring that Congress doesn’t go too far in regulating what individuals post — an effort to head off potential challenges. laws on freedom of expression.
But some critics say the project still goes too far. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the bill could threaten users’ privacy and compared it to “book bans and classroom censorship laws.”
“The House must block this dangerous bill before it is too late,” said Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the ACLU.
Some advocacy groups have also expressed concerns that the bill could harm children who would not otherwise have access to information about LGBTQ issues or reproductive rights — although the bill has been revised to address some of this criticism and mainstream LGBTQ groups have not expressed concern. oppose the legislation.
Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a longtime and outspoken supporter of free speech online, said he voted against the bill because of concerns about the censorship of health information for LGBTQ teens and the potential for lawsuits against health services. encryption that help young people stay safe from predators. .
The bill also includes an update to children’s privacy laws that prohibit online companies from collecting personal information from users under the age of 13, raising that age to 17. It would also prohibit advertising targeted at teenagers and provide what lawmakers call an “eraser button” to delete a minor’s personal information.
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey sponsored the original legislation in 1998 — the last time Congress passed a child online safety law — and worked with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana on the update. Markey said the online space has “come a long way” since the first bill and that new tools are needed for parents as teens struggle with mental health.
As their bill stalled for several months, Blumenthal and Blackburn worked closely with parents of children who have been harmed by social media – whether through cyberbullying or social media challenges, extortion attempts, eating disorders, drug trafficking. or other potential hazards.
Maurine Molak, mother of a 16-year-old who died by suicide after “months of relentless and threatening cyberbullying,” said she believes the bill could save lives. She asked all senators to vote in favor.
“Anyone who believes that the well-being and safety of children should come before the greed of big tech should make their mark on this historic legislation,” Molak said.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, these organizations may be able to help.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
