Meta’s massive proposed settlement over claims of social media harm doesn’t remove the need for legislation that would govern use of online platforms by children and teens, two leading lawmakers and advocacy groups said Wednesday.
A group of 47 states with the District of Columbia and U.S. territories reached the settlement with the owner of Facebook and Instagram for up to $18 billion and steps to put new safety features in place for young users.
The agreement, which still needs to be approved by a federal court, comes as Congress debates competing House and Senate bills that would put new parental control requirements on online platforms and give platforms different levels of responsibility to prevent harms to children and teens.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., sponsored the Senate bill, known as the Kids Online Safety Act or KOSA. In a statement Wednesday with one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Blackburn said the settlement’s design changes “are a first step toward giving kids and parents the tools they need to take back control of their online lives, but they can be strengthened.”
They added, however, that they still want Congress to act. “We also need safeguards that apply across the board—to all social media companies—not just Instagram and Facebook,” Blackburn and Blumenthal said. “This settlement once again demands that Congress pass the Kids Online Safety Act into law before the end of the year.”
