Analyzing the Consequences of Recent Youth Online Safety Proposals

Jennifer HuddlestonMany policymakers at both the state and federal levels have called for additional regulations to protect children ’s online privacy and improve online safety. While the desire to protect children is a well ‐​intentioned motivation, these proposals have significant consequences, and in many cases may even diminish children’s online privacy. In a new policy brief out today, I discuss the potential impact of these proposals for all internet users, not just children.In general, these proposed online safety regulations tend to fall into three major categories:A total or near total ban of social media use by users under a certain age;Requirements for age verification and age ‐​appropriate design for social media and other general use websites;Additional age verification and age ‐​appropriate design codes for particular types of content.A ban or near total ban of social media use is a draconian step for a government to take. It eliminates speech opportunities for individuals of every age.Such an approach assumes all uses of social media are bad and neglects the beneficial communities that have formed. It discounts the ways social media can serve as a form of communication with far away friends and family members. Additionally, many proposals struggle to define social media in ways that would not include a whole range of websites such as Wikipedia and review sites like Yelp.Age ‐​appropriate design codes f...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs