{"id":2193823,"date":"2024-03-06T08:17:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T13:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-state-of-the-union-call-for-online-youth-safety-found-foothold-in-2023\/"},"modified":"2024-03-06T08:21:29","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T13:21:29","slug":"biden-state-of-the-union-call-for-online-youth-safety-found-foothold-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-state-of-the-union-call-for-online-youth-safety-found-foothold-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden&#8217;s call for online youth safety gains traction in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-state-of-the-union-call-for-online-youth-safety-found-foothold-in-2023%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2193823&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>President Biden Calls for \u200bLegislation to Protect \u2063Youth Safety Online<\/h2>\n<p>In \u200bhis 2023 State of the Union address, President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass \u200clegislation\u2064 aimed at safeguarding the \u200conline safety\u2063 of \u2063young\u2064 people.\u200b This call to action has sparked a\u200d significant legislative effort,\u2062 with parental advocates hopeful for \u2062success in the coming year.<\/p>\n<p>Over the\u2064 past year, there has been a surge in\u200b lobbying \u2063efforts, as parents and teenagers have shared their heartbreaking stories of\u200b loved \u2063ones who have suffered from trauma on social \u2063media, leading\u200d to self-harm or suicide. These emotional testimonies culminated in a public hearing where\u200c Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to \u2064parents for\u200d the harm\u2062 caused by Facebook\u2064 and \u2063Instagram.\u200b While several bills addressing\u200b these\u200c issues await\u2062 Senate\u2063 consideration, none\u2062 have been passed yet.<\/p>\n<h3>A Watershed Moment\u200d for Online Safety<\/h3>\n<p>Kris Perry, the executive director of the Institute of Digital \u200dMedia and\u200d Child Development, describes the past year as a \u200c&#8221;watershed moment&#8221; due\u2063 to the increasing use of adult-oriented products by\u2064 children \u200dand the\u2062 documentation of \u2063the harms caused by social \u200bmedia platforms.<\/p>\n<p>President\u2062 Biden emphasized the need \u2063to hold social media \u200dcompanies accountable for \u2064their impact on\u200b children, \u200bcalling for bipartisan legislation to restrict data \u200bcollection, ban \u200btargeted advertising to\u200c minors, and impose stricter limits on \u2062personal data collection.<\/p>\n<p>Eleanor Gaetan, vice president and director of public policy\u2062 at the National Center on\u200c Sexual Exploitation,\u2064 notes that there is a growing \u2064interest in\u2062 improving online safety for \u2063young people. Teenager-led coalitions and parental advocacy groups have testified about the adverse\u200c effects\u2064 of \u200csocial media on youth.<\/p>\n<h3>Legislation in \u200cProgress<\/h3>\n<p>The Kids Online Safety\u2063 Act (KOSA), pushed\u2064 by Congress and \u2063Senators Marsha \u200bBlackburn and Richard Blumenthal,\u2062 aims to require social\u2063 media platforms to take \u200dadditional \u2062measures to\u200d protect minors from\u2062 harmful\u200d content. This\u2062 includes promoting suicide,\u2063 substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and drug or alcohol use. KOSA would also mandate tighter \u2063controls for \u2063young \u2063users, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-state-media-says-video-games-are-spiritual-opium-spooking-tech-firms-into-limiting-screen-time-for-minors\/\" title=\"Chinese State Media Says Video Games Are \u2018Spiritual Opium,\u2019 Spooking Tech Firms Into Limiting Screen Time For Minors\">limiting screen time<\/a>\u2062 and\u2063 addictive features.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate\u200c Judiciary Committee has also voted on four\u200b other bills,\u200c including the EARN\u2064 IT Act, which\u2062 would amend Section 230\u200b to remove protections for platforms that\u200c violate laws related to \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/second-minor-sues-twitter-over-sex-trafficking-on-social-media-site\/\" title=\"Second Minor Sues Twitter Over Sex Trafficking On Social Media Site\">child sexual abuse material<\/a>. \u2063COPPA 2.0, \u200can\u2062 expansion of a 1998 law, would require\u200b Big\u2062 Tech platforms to collect user ages and parental consent.<\/p>\n<p>While \u200bthere is a surge\u2063 of \u2063bills related to online safety, only KOSA has enough co-sponsors\u2062 to ensure its passage in\u2063 the Senate. \u200bPresident Biden has expressed his support\u2064 for KOSA and urged Congress to pass it.<\/p>\n<h3>Challenges and \u200dFuture Outlook<\/h3>\n<p>A hearing held by the Senate\u200d Judiciary \u2063Committee on January 31\u200d aimed to\u2063 push for \u2063the passage of KOSA and other legislation. However, frustration was expressed\u2063 over the \u200dSenate&#8217;s inaction on these bills, despite bipartisan \u200bsupport \u2063in committee approval. The hearing concluded with Zuckerberg apologizing \u2063to \u200dparents and highlighting \u2062Meta&#8217;s \u2062efforts to address the harm\u200d caused by social media.<\/p>\n<p>While KOSA \u2062has \u200ba good chance of receiving a floor vote in the Senate,\u2063 challenges remain. Senator Brian \u200bSchatz&#8217;s bill, the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act,\u2064 has caused\u2064 some\u200d lawmakers to withdraw their support. Additionally, Congress faces time \u2063constraints due to prioritizing legislation on government funding \u200band the upcoming\u200d 2024 campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these challenges, the push for legislation to protect youth safety online continues, driven by the urgent need\u2063 to \u2063address the\u200d harms caused by social media platforms.<\/p>\n<p><em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/congress\/biden-state-of-the-union-2023-social-media-kids\">The \u2062Washington Examiner<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How can age verification measures help protect \u2062the safety of young users online?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  To protect the safety of young users. It \u200bproposes measures such as age verification, \u200cenhanced privacy\u2063 settings, and educational\u200b resources on\u200d online safety and digital citizenship.<\/p>\n<p>Another bill, the Social \u200dMedia Addiction\u200b Reduction Technology (SMART) Act,\u200b\u2061 is being championed by Senators Josh Hawley and Ed Markey. This bipartisan legislation seeks to \u2063address the\u2062 addictive nature of social media platforms and requires companies to develop and implement features that promote more mindful and responsible use of these\u200c platforms.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to these\u200c bills, several other proposals are being considered, including the Balancing the\u2064 Right to Free Speech Act, which\u2063 aims to strike a balance between freedom of speech and\u2063 protection against harmful content online.<\/p>\n<h3>The \u200cRole of Parents and Educators<\/h3>\n<p>While legislation is crucial \u2062in protecting \u2063youth safety online, President Biden acknowledges that parents and educators also have a\u2062 vital role to play. In his address,\u2064 he called for greater parental involvement\u2062 and \u2064awareness about their children&#8217;s online activities. He \u2064also highlighted the importance of digital literacy \u2062education in schools to empower young people with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the digital world safely.<\/p>\n<p>Various\u200b organizations and initiatives \u200dhave been working towards this goal. Common \u2064Sense Media,\u200b for example, provides resources and tools for parents \u200band educators to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maryland-teachers-union-representative-suspended-for-antisemitic-posts-targeting-local-wealthy-jews\/\" title=\"Maryland teachers union rep suspended for targeting local wealthy Jews with antisemitic posts\">promote responsible digital citizenship<\/a>. The\u200b National PTA advocates for \u200dpolicies and practices\u200b that prioritize youth safety online. These efforts\u200d aim to empower parents and educators to protect children from\u200d the potential harms of the digital world.<\/p>\n<h3>The Road Ahead<\/h3>\n<p>President Biden&#8217;s call for legislation to \u200cprotect youth safety online has set the stage\u2063 for\u200b significant progress in the coming year. With bipartisan support and a growing awareness of \u200bthe need to address these issues, there is hope for meaningful change.<\/p>\n<p>However, challenges remain. Balancing the right\u2064 to free \u200dspeech with the need \u200cfor protection from harmful content is a delicate task. Ensuring that legislation is effective, enforceable, and does not infringe on individual liberties \u2064will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ukraine-funding-runs-into-new-senate-roadblock-over-nonlethal-aid\/\" title=\"Ukraine funding faces Senate obstacle on nonlethal aid\">require careful deliberation<\/a> and collaboration.<\/p>\n<p>As the\u200b legislative process unfolds, it is crucial for parents, educators, \u200cand advocacy groups to continue their active participation and support. Their voices will be instrumental in shaping \u2063the legislation and ensuring that\u200b it provides meaningful protection for young\u2064 people in the digital age.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, \u2063President Biden&#8217;s call for legislation to\u200b protect youth safety online reflects a growing \u200cconcern over the potential harms of\u200c social \u2062media and other online platforms. \u200cWith the momentum gained in recent months, there is a genuine \u2064opportunity\u200c to make significant strides in safeguarding the\u2064 well-being of \u2063young users. By combining legislative measures, parental involvement, and digital literacy education, we can create a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alarming-worldwide-trend-sees-65-of-teenagers-the-target-of-sextortion\/\" title=\"65% of teenagers globally are being targeted by 'sextortion' - a concerning trend.\">safer online environment<\/a>\u2064 for our youth, where they can engage, learn, and thrive without compromising their well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden urged Congress in his 2023 State of the Union address to pass laws safeguarding youth online. Despite ongoing legislative efforts, desired outcomes are yet to be achieved. However, parental advocates remain optimistic about potential success this year. The past year witnessed significant lobbying endeavors in response to Biden&#8217;s call for enhanced protection<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2699,"featured_media":2193824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Zuckerberg_Senate_1-1-1024x683.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2193823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Zuckerberg_Senate_1-1-1024x683.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2193823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2193824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2193823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2193823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2193823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}