Senate Judiciary Seeks Kids’ Safety Backing From Meta, X, TikTok
The Senate Judiciary Committee will seek support from Meta, X, TikTok and Discord for kids’ privacy legislation during Wednesday's hearing when their CEOs are scheduled to appear, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters Tuesday.
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He and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., unveiled an endorsement from Microsoft for the Kids Online Safety Act during a news conference Tuesday. Snap, which is sending its CEO to Wednesday’s hearing, also endorsed the bill.
“We are really interfering with a cash cow that [the tech industry] is reluctant to modify,” said Blumenthal. “The endorsements we’re receiving now reflect the growing awareness that the pressure is mounting.” He said he’s under “no illusions that I’m going to go down the line” and each CEO is going to endorse the legislation. They need to put it on the record, the lawmaker said.
Blumenthal and Blackburn were asked if they were disappointed about the lack of representation from YouTube, one of the most widely used social media apps. Blackburn said no, because there will be opportunities to get testimony from YouTube in the future. “It’s always good to continue to get these companies in front of us,” she said.
Child safety advocates met Tuesday during an event the National Center on Sexual Exploitation hosted. Parents discussed experiences involving their children who were harmed or died in social media-related suicides and incidents. John DeMay recounted his 17-year-old son’s death by suicide after six Nigerian men “sextorted” him via Instagram. The suspects continued to use the platform even after the company was notified of the suicide, said DeMay. The FBI has made arrests, and the family is awaiting other extraditions, he said. DeMay noted his son was an honor roll student and an all-conference, multi-sport athlete. His life “was cut short because of social media.”
“The bottom line is [tech companies] have no liability based on the legal regime,” said Tim Estes, founder of Digital Reasoning, a company that made software for military uses. “Every attempt by parents to hold them accountable at some substantial scale has failed. Until there is liability, there will be no limits.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, toId us Tuesday he’s open to legislation regulating the use of AI that would harm children. He cited efforts from House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.: “I think we’re all concerned about that. I haven’t talked to her specifically about it, but I know it’s a general concern.”
Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., a longtime kids’ privacy legislation advocate, said to ask Rodgers why House Commerce hasn't considered legislation. “Congress has to act,” said Castor. “It’s long overdue. Enough with the hearings. Let’s get to markups. There are some good proposals out there that need to go through the legislative process.”
“I’m all for” holding the companies accountable, said House Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. “Look at their track record. It’s not very good.” Bilirakis said he and Rodgers are working through privacy legislation with the Senate: “We’d like to have a big privacy bill that includes liability.”
“There’s no question” the companies need to be held more liable for the impact of their algorithms, said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. “It’s time to look at removing the immunity they have” under the Communications Decency Act Section 230.
“These industries are clearly important to” the U.S. economy, but “paramount is child safety protection and what things they could be exposed to” on social media, said House Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Lou Correa, D-Calif.