ALEC Statement of Principles for Teen Use of Social Media
| Model Bill Info | |
|---|---|
| Bill Title | ALEC Statement of Principles for Teen Use of Social Media |
| Date Introduced | July 26, 2024 |
| Type | Statement of Principle |
| Status | Draft |
| Task Forces | Communications and Technology |
| Keywords | Communications and Technology; Privacy and Security |
ALEC Statement of Principles for Teen Use of Social Media
Laws and regulations governing the safety of teens (ages 13-18) and their use of social media should be consistent with the principles outlined below.
It is without dispute that the safety and well-being of children and teens should be of priority for social media platforms and policymakers. Social media platforms are making improvements on safety features for users but there remains a gap between awareness and usability of these features by users and their caregivers. Social media platforms have a responsibility to make these features easily usable for all users. The rights of parents and caregivers should be respected as the ones in charge of and best able to care for teenagers in their household. The state, any of its political subdivisions, any other governmental entity, a private company, or any other institution may not infringe on the fundamental rights of a parent or primary caregiver to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of his or her teen. Social media done at scale, while having significant benefits for all users, will inevitably and tragically result in edge case harms impossible to prevent by regulation or changes in platform policy. Legislation designed to protect teenagers must not violate the First Amendment speech rights of minors, adults, and corporations. New laws should not pose a risk of increasing the likelihood of warrantless government surveillance, mass data collection, or government jawboning. Well intentioned proposals should not expose teens or adults to increased harm in the case of criminal data breaches. Policies that require users and teens to share personally identifiable data by nature increases the likelihood and severity of a data breach. Recognition that device manufacturers, major app store and mobile operating system developers have parental and caregiver features to filter content, use, and app availability. Lawmakers should ensure teen social media safety proposals are narrowly targeted and avoid approaches that would have broader effects deeper in the technology stack Lawmakers should address nuanced harms of social media use, rather than seeking blanket prohibitions. Legislation should emphasize educating students about healthy social media habits and the importance on staying safe online as opposed to prohibiting access.
