New federal measures should improve online protection of young people

On July 30, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan bill Children’s Internet Safety and Privacy Act (S. 2073), aimed at protecting children from online dangers. This legislation combines two important bills: the Children’s Internet Safety Act (KOSA) (S. 1409) and the Children’s and Teenagers’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) (S.1418).

The Children’s Internet Safety and Privacy Act would:

• Implement a ‘duty of care’ requirement: Platforms must prevent and reduce harms such as bullying, violence, suicide incitement, eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and illegal product advertising.
• Improve security measures: Requires platforms to provide options for minors to protect their information, disable addictive features, opt out of personalized algorithmic recommendations, limit interactions and features that encourage continued use, and default to the safest settings for minors.

View S. 2073

Administrative measures regarding online security

Congressional action on this issue comes against the backdrop of efforts by the Biden administration to address online safety, through the recently established Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force, which is jointly led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (DOC) National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The task force published a report on July 22 with recommendations and best practices for social media cybersafety for youth, titled “Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry,” highlighting both the benefits and risks associated with digital technology and youth’s use of social media platforms.

Below are the key points from the report:

• Recommendations for parents and caregivers focus on best practices and strategies for managing children’s media use, sparking conversations about online safety, and leveraging tools designed to protect young people online.
• Recommendations for the industry focus on creating age-appropriate online experiences, ensuring privacy protections, limiting features that encourage overuse, combating online harassment and exploitation, and increasing transparency about safety features.
• Recommendations for federal policymakers who advocate for federal legislation to protect young people online, greater industry accountability, better access to research data, and international cooperation on online safety.
• Emphasis on a government-wide approach by recognising that achieving the goals outlined in the report requires collaboration between government agencies at all levels, researchers, industry, civil society and young people themselves.

Read the report

Impact on provinces

The mental health crisis, exacerbated by social media, is having a profound impact on our youth. In 2021, approximately 15 percent of adolescents ages 12-17 experienced a major depressive episode. Suicide was a leading cause of death among those ages 10-14 and 15-24. With 95 percent of teens and 40 percent of children ages 8-12 using social media, they are at risk for bullying and harassment. County officials must proactively address these risks in partnership with all levels of government.

Counties should collaborate with state and federal leaders, schools, health care providers, and community organizations to share resources and develop guidelines for addressing community-specific risks.

NACo’s policy platform calls for federal assistance for social media safety education, parental involvement, school safety policies, threat research for K-12 students, and interventions for at-risk foster youth. NACo will continue to advocate for federal reforms and funding to improve online safety, a critical strategy for improving youth mental health.

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