On Monday, the House of Representatives passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, a package aimed at protecting minors from various dangers posed by online platforms such as social media and AI chatbots.
The bill includes measures related to age verification, minors’ access to sexually explicit content, limits on “design features that result in compulsive use,” and tools for parents to see the total amount of time their children spend on platforms.
“Today’s children are faced with a digital world designed for profit rather than safety and true connection,” says Jean Twenge, author of “10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World.” She says the bill requiring age verification is “progress.”
Still, the KIDS Act is not without its critics, including some members of Congress whose prospects are uncertain.
“Instead of passing federal standards that protect America’s children from Big Tech’s greed, the House just passed a bill that shoddy Big Tech accountability,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who have been working on their own online safety laws, said in a statement.
Here’s what some experts and critics say is missing from the bill, and what parents should keep in mind as they navigate the digital world their children are likely to encounter.
Critics say the bill leaves important gaps
One of the biggest criticisms of the KIDS Act is that the bill removes the “duty of care” provision that was included in earlier versions. Legal standards would have required online platforms to identify and mitigate risks such as financial exploitation and reform design features related to mental health harm.
“This is the part that gives the bill some real teeth,” said Candice Odgers, a professor of psychology and informatics at the University of California. Without it, critics including Sens. Blumenthal and Blackburn argue, tech companies would be able to continue operating much as they do today.
Critics are also concerned about how the platform verifies users’ ages. Odgers said companies would have to first determine who is and is not a minor, which could end up collecting sensitive information from all users and making it impossible to protect it.
Finally, some experts argue that the bill focuses more on children’s access than adults who exploit children online.
“If we’re going to address child safety, we need to look at other things, like how adults interact with children online,” said Jessica Gee, a senior research analyst at the Center for Security and Emerging Technologies, a policy research institute.
Experts agree that parents continue to play a central role in keeping children safe
Ultimately, we need guardrails when it comes to how to keep kids safe online, Ji says, but we also need a general recognition that “all guardrails will eventually be bypassed by a determined or smart enough user.”
Her advice for parents with older children: “Have a conversation that makes it clear that if you see something scary, disturbing, or weird online, it’s okay to talk about it.” Emphasize that your device will not be taken away as a result and you will not be penalized for speaking up.
For younger children, she says it’s a good idea to set parental controls on sites like YouTube, such as time limits and content filters.
Twenge goes a step further and advises parents to “hold off on getting their kids any type of cell phone for as long as possible, and instead get them a basic cell phone like Gabb, Troomi, Bark, or Pinwheel that doesn’t have social media and is designed for kids,” she says.
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