Jump to content

  • AdSense Advertisement


  • AdSense Advertisement


  • AdSense Advertisement


  • Uncrowned Guard
    Uncrowned Guard

    By Uncrowned Guard •

    Child Internet Safety Bills Proceed Despite Critics' Concerns

      TL;DR: The Senate Commerce Committee has advanced two bills, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and COPPA 2.0, aimed at protecting children online. The bills, which are yet to become law, have drawn both support and criticism. KOSA aims to prevent kids from accessing harmful content and requires parental consent for children under 17 to use platforms, while COPPA 2.0 extends online privacy protection from 13 to 16 years and bans ad targeting to kids. Critics argue these bills could force platforms to collect more user data and possibly hinder LGBTQIA+ teens from accessing necessary resources online due to parental consent requirements.

    Senate Moves to Protect Kids Online

    In a significant step towards the protection of children on the internet, the Senate Commerce Committee has approved two bills for floor discussion on Thursday, despite critics voicing their concerns over potential drawbacks.

    Approaching Child Online Safety: KOSA and COPPA 2.0

    The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and COPPA 2.0, both directed toward addressing the mental health crisis among children exacerbated by social media, are now one step closer to becoming law. Critics, however, express fears that these measures could unintentionally push social media platforms to collect more user information to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

    Presidential Call for Children's Online Privacy

    President Joe Biden, in his past State of the Union addresses, has stressed the need for more robust online privacy measures for children. Aligning with his sentiment, bipartisan lawmakers have put forward legislation aimed at fulfilling this demand, with KOSA and COPPA 2.0 emerging as the front-runners.

    KOSA: Shielding Children from Damaging Content

    KOSA, initiated by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), is designed to empower the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to penalize companies that fail to shield children from damaging content on their platforms. The bill seeks to prevent exposure to content promoting eating disorders, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and gambling. Additionally, KOSA proposes prohibiting social media use for children 13 and under and requires parental consent for platform usage by children under 17.

    Age Verification Concerns and Proposed Amendments

    In response to concerns raised by digital rights groups regarding user age verification, Blackburn proposed an amendment, which was approved alongside the bill. Despite this, concerns persist that the bill's requirements could still necessitate the collection of more user data.

    Potential Hindrance to LGBTQIA+ Teens' Access to Resources

    There are also worries that KOSA could inadvertently hinder LGBTQIA+ teenagers from accessing necessary resources online due to the parental consent stipulations. Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) reassured that the committee plans to work with critics to address these issues.

    COPPA 2.0: Elevating Age of Protection and Ad Restrictions

    The other bill, COPPA 2.0, aims to elevate the age of protection under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act from 13 to 16 and imposes similar age-gating restrictions. Furthermore, it prohibits platforms from targeting advertisements for children.

    Tech Trade Group's Opposition to the Bills

    Despite these advancements, tech trade group NetChoice voiced staunch opposition to the bills. Carl Szabo, NetChoice vice president and general counsel, argued that the decision of how children and teens use the internet should rest with parents and guardians, not the government.

    Image Credit: Midjourney
    Go to articles

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    ZandraJoi

    All fine & great, all ages need that protection. But what would help the children is for the parents to be more active in their lives. Most parents don't even know what their kids are doing. Problem is, I don't see that changing. Both parents have to work to have all this tech & then if they are home, they are ON those tech devices.

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Joshua Farrell

    I know the State of Utah has something similar that was implemented this past year. They now require companies that have a userbase in the state, to verify age, so that certain content doesn't get shown to anyone under 18.

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    ZandraJoi
    On 7/29/2023 at 2:07 PM, Joshua Farrell said:

    I know the State of Utah has something similar that was implemented this past year. They now require companies that have a userbase in the state, to verify age, so that certain content doesn't get shown to anyone under 18.

    It's good Utah is stepping up for more security like this. How can they verify it however? I've went to sites & says "Click here if you are over 18". Anybody can click on it! So how could sites verify to make it safer? Is there a way? I've always wondered about that.

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Kyng
    On 8/5/2023 at 1:00 PM, ZandraJoi said:

    It's good Utah is stepping up for more security like this. How can they verify it however? I've went to sites & says "Click here if you are over 18". Anybody can click on it! So how could sites verify to make it safer? Is there a way? I've always wondered about that.

    While I don't think the idea is bad, I do agree that it'd be very difficult to implement.

    Every method of age verification that I can think of is either useless, or invasive of privacy 😞 . 

    • Thanks 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Joshua Farrell
    On 8/5/2023 at 6:00 AM, ZandraJoi said:

    It's good Utah is stepping up for more security like this. How can they verify it however? I've went to sites & says "Click here if you are over 18". Anybody can click on it! So how could sites verify to make it safer? Is there a way? I've always wondered about that.

    Looked up the law to freshen my memory. It states "reasonable measures to obtain identity", and mentions that ID must be provided. And that after age verification has been verified, the law then states that they company should then grant access based on the ID provided, and then remove all information used to obtain verification of said age.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    ZandraJoi
    On 8/9/2023 at 12:33 AM, Paige said:

    I feel like we always mess this stuff up 😢

    Unfortunately you are right!

    On 8/10/2023 at 6:39 AM, Kyng said:

    While I don't think the idea is bad, I do agree that it'd be very difficult to implement.

    Every method of age verification that I can think of is either useless, or invasive of privacy 😞 . 

    I agree!

    On 8/10/2023 at 3:44 PM, Joshua Farrell said:

    Looked up the law to freshen my memory. It states "reasonable measures to obtain identity", and mentions that ID must be provided. And that after age verification has been verified, the law then states that they company should then grant access based on the ID provided, and then remove all information used to obtain verification of said age.

    Thank you for looking more into it! Sounds interesting. I do hope they find a solution & if this goes over well, it can maybe be implemented in other states.

    • Like 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

  • News Categories

    Tech News Science News Entertainment News

  • AdSense Advertisement


  • AdSense Advertisement


  • AdSense Advertisement


Sponsor

Sponsor

Sponsor

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.