Bill protects kids from harms of social media
Madison, WI—Today, State Representatives David Steffen (R-Howard), Joy Goeben (R-Hobart) and Ben Franklin (R-De Pere) introduced the “Kids Online Safety Act” as part of the Speaker’s Task Force on Protecting Kids. This legislation recognizes the expansive body of research connecting social media use to serious physical and mental health problems in kids.
“Depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, harassment, poor body image, these are just a few of the well documented side effects of social media on our kids. Right now, social media companies, advertisers and predators have unfettered access to our children and data shows this has come at great cost. It’s time to protect our kids online by enacting common-sense safety measures,” said Rep. Steffen.
The proposal places a number of safety requirements on social media accounts held by minors, including:
o Requiring social media companies to perform age estimation to identify kid accounts
o Requiring parental consent and access to their child’s account
o Requiring the strictest privacy settings
o Prohibiting addictive features like infinite scrolling and targeted advertising
o Empowering parents to place time restrictions on their child’s account
“It has been my honor to serve on the Speaker’s Task Force on Protecting Kids. I am grateful to my colleagues for working together to draft the “Kids Online Safety Act.” Parents need the tools in this legislation now more than ever. I am committed to ensuring our kids are protected from the well documented harms found on social media. I look forward to this legislation becoming law,” said Rep. Goeben.
Under the bill, social media companies that fail to follow the law will face hefty penalties imposed by the state as well as civil damages awarded to those harmed. Upon enactment, Wisconsin would rightly join other states in holding social media companies accountable and protecting kids online.
“As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to recognize when technology is moving faster than the safeguards meant to protect our kids,” said Rep. Franklin. “This legislation puts parents back in the driver’s seat and establishes clear, enforceable standards for social media companies that profit from children’s attention and data. This is about setting reasonable guardrails so kids can benefit from technology without being exposed to unnecessary harm. In addition to the “Kids Online Safety Act,” my office is also introducing legislation to address the risks posed by AI chatbots, which are already negatively impacting children’s safety and mental health.”
The “Kids Online Safety Act” is currently circulating for co-sponsorship support before advancing in the legislative process.
For more information contact the offices of Rep. Steffen at 608-237-9104, Rep. Goeben at 608-237-9105 or Rep. Franklin at 608-237-9188.
