A Conversation with Baroness Beeban Kidron on Child Online Safety

Audio of this conversation is available via your favorite podcast service. This week, a bipartisan group of US Senators introduced the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, legislation that would require social media platforms to verify the age of users, prohibit the use of algorithmic recommendation systems for individuals under age 18, require parent or guardian consent for minors to use social media, and prohibit users who are under age 13 from accessing social media platforms altogether.  The bill is just the latest in a string of federal proposals aimed at protecting children- from the Kids Online Safety Act to the Stop CSAM Act and more. But while the House and Senate debate such measures, states are moving ahead with their own versions of bills ostensibly designed to protect children.  Chief among them is California’s Age Appropriate Design Code, which passed last year and is due to come into effect in July 2024. It seeks to limit the collection of data from users under 18 and to hold tech companies accountable for designing products with children’s privacy and safety in mind. The law faces a legal challenge from industry, and some legal experts say parts of it may violate the First Amendment.  How the courts decide the matter may have implications across the country, where dozens of bills have passed or are advancing in states such as Utah, Arkansas, Texas, Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. These bills vary in their composition and intent- as Tate Ryan Mosley recently…A Conversation with Baroness Beeban Kidron on Child Online Safety