New Bipartisan Bill Would Ban Kids Under 13 From Social Media
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation this week aimed at protecting kids from harmful effects of social media.
The Details: The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, introduced by Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Tom Cotton (R-AK), would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media apps, and would require parental consent for kids ages 13-17 to use social media. It would also require platforms to adopt new age verification measures in a program overseen by the Department of Commerce, and would ban companies from using algorithms to recommend content for users under 18.
Key Quotes: U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in January that kids 13 and under are too young for social media, and that "their relationships and the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children." Cotton said that "Big tech has exposed our kids to dangerous content and disturbed people."
For Context: This year's Youth Risk Behavior Survey from the CDC suggests 57% of female high school students and 29% of male students experienced “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” over the last year. Voices across the spectrum tie those issues to social media and how it reinforces unattainable beauty standards.
How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum highlighted the bill's bipartisan nature alongside concerns about it. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) said some "parental groups have slammed the bill for overextending government power and limiting parental choice through the age limits."
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Bipartisan social media age limit bill would usurp role of parents, industry argues
New bipartisan legislation limiting the age of children and teenagers on social media strips authority away from parents and gives it to the government instead, the industries affected by the bill say.
Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Tom Cotton (R-AK) introduced the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act on Wednesday. The bill would set a minimum age of 13 for users to be allowed to have accounts on social media apps such as Instagram or TikTok, while users between the ages of 13 and 17 would require parental approval. It would also limit the algorithmic content...
From the Center
A US Bill Would Ban Kids Under 13 From Joining Social Media
A NEW BIPARTISAN federal proposal introduced in the US Senate today would set a national age limit for using social media, effectively banning anyone 12 and under from using the apps many children currently spend hours a day on.
There are countless efforts floating around Capitol Hill aimed at safeguarding the nation’s children from the dangers of social media, but this new measure, known as the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, takes aim at the algorithms Silicon Valley employs to keep kids on their sites. Specifically, it bars children under...
From the Left
Children under 13 would be banned from social media under bipartisan Senate bill
A bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday introduced legislation that aims to protect children from any harmful effects posed by using social media.
The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media apps, such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and would require parental consent for 13- to 17-year-olds.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said earlier this year that 13 is too young to join social media.
The bill would ban social media companies from recommending content using algorithms for users under the age...
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