The business model of the internet as we know it today just isn’t healthy for kids. Big Tech companies prioritize continued engagement and data collection over taking offline breaks, encourage kids to share their sensitive data to get more “likes,” and expose young people to predators online – and those are just a few of the risks facing kids online today!
That’s why, yesterday, Fairplay directly addressed Congressional leaders, calling on them to enact much-needed reforms that would protect children and teens online.
Fairplay organized more than 60 leading advocates like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association in calling on Congress to enact the following measures:
- Protections for children and teens wherever they are online, not just on “child-directed” sites;
- Privacy protections to all minors;
- A ban on targeted advertising to young people;
- Prohibition of algorithmic discrimination of children and teens;
- Requiring digital service providers to make the best interests of children a primary design consideration and prevent and mitigate harms to minors;
- Requiring platforms to turn on the most protective settings for minors by default;
- Greater resources for enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission.
Congress has the power to change things for the better, and it’s far past time for them to do so: Congress last passed privacy legislation for children 24 years ago. That’s why we’re creating huge coalitions to demand the online protections kids need now.
We’ll be in touch with ways you can help our campaign to create the internet that all children and teens deserve. In the meantime, you can share this image and spread the word to your friends on social media (if you use it)!