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Biden Child Privacy Social Media State of the Union Address Overview:
- Who: President Joe Biden asked Congress to prevent social media companies from targeting underage users with advertising and collecting their data.
- Why: Social media use has been linked to mental health issues in underage users
- Where: The State of the Union address was delivered from Washington, D.C.
President Joe Biden spent part of his State of the Union address on Tuesday urging Congress to prevent social media companies from collecting the personal data of underage users and targeting them with advertisements.
Biden argued stronger privacy protections are necessary in order to hold social media companies accountable for what he called a “national experiment” that has led to a decline in mental health among children and teens, reports Law360.
The link between social media and mental health was brought to the forefront last year after former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen came forward with claims that, among other things, the company actively hid research about the negative impact it has on youth.
Biden called out Haugen — who was in attendance as a guest of First Lady Jill Biden — during his State of the Union address, citing her disclosures as proof something needs to be done to “hold social media platforms accountable,” reports Law360.
“It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, (and) demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children,” Biden said.
Biden’s increased regulation request is part of his administration’s broader goal to strengthen the country’s mental health and privacy policies.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is currently in place to protect children under the age of 13. The act requires websites that are child directed to obtain parental permission before they can collect or reveal any of their personal information.
Lawmakers Work To Increase Protections For Child, Teen Users
Several lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, have been pushing to have COPPA updated to expand protections to teens between the age of 13 and 16, however the proposal has not made much progress within Congress, reports Law360.
Markey has also worked with other lawmakers to press what is being called the Kids Internet Design and Safety Act, which would bar the use of manipulative marketing and showcasing of content that is harmful to the development of children and teens.
In a statement before Biden’s address, a spokesman for Markey said he is “working on a bipartisan basis with Commerce Committee leadership and colleagues to pass legislation to update COPPA,” reports Law360.
Researchers have linked the use of social media in children and teens to a number of mental health conditions, including eating disorders, depression, and body dysmorphia, among other things.
Instead of working to limit interactions, social media executives have been accused of targeting youth by creating a toxic environment meant to further engage them.
Do your or your underage child use social media? You may qualify to join a free social media and mental health investigation!
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