Many U.S. states are fighting giant tech firms with online child safety bills. Almost 10 states are doing this to ensure that young users are safe from the harms posed by social media platforms.
But who is winning this battle? The US states or social media firms? Here are the latest details.
US States Fight Tech Firms With Online Child Safety Bills
Nine states are fighting giant tech firms to protect children from the harms of social media platforms. These include New Mexico, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Vermont, Maryland, South Carolina, and Nevada, as reported by The Guardian.
All these states introduced legislation aiming to improve online child safety. These include Minnesota's bill, passed in February, and Maryland's new "Kids Code" bill, passed on Apr. 6.
However, lobbyists are trying to protect tech firms from these legislations. One of them is NetChoice's Vice President Carl Szabo. He spoke against the Kids Code bill of Maryland.
Because of these, US lawmakers have accused tech firm lobbyists of deception during public hearings. As of press time, US states and social media giants are still fighting each other. But, these new online child safety bills give US states an advantage.
Dangers Posed by Social Media on Children
The Mayo Clinic Health System provided the dangers social media platforms pose on young users. These include the following:
- Make children vulnerable to cyberbullying.
- Social media platforms can accidentally leak children's locations to predators.
- Kids who are using social media platforms might access inappropriate content.
- Regular social media use can negatively affect children's mental health.
These risks are pretty serious as they could endanger the lives of young users. This is why more and more US states are now introducing online child safety bills.
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