Technology/Apps/AI

Congress should pass legislation that includes increased safeguards for minors including: age verification, transparency measures, content controls, reporting mechanisms, and personal data sharing protections, as outlined in the Children and Teen’s Online Privacy and Protection Act, the Kids Online Safety Act, and Protecting Kids on Social Media Act. Additionally, the Department of Commerce should create a program for researchers to access data from platforms for research on harms, the National Institute of Standards and Technology should conduct a study on methods to verify age of platform users, and the Federal Trade Commission should establish a Youth Privacy and Marketing Division to research and provide guidance on privacy and marketing directed toward children and teens.

Congress should increase funding for research on the impact of social media and technology on youth mental health and for consumer education about potential mental health risks online.[1]