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NetChoice Condemns Introduction of Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology (SMART) Act

Today, NetChoice raised concerns with new legislation introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology (SMART) Act. The bill would reduce the usefulness of social media platforms by banning features like autoplay and automatic scrolling. Ironically, a visitor to Sen. Hawley’s own website will see an autoplay video.
“This bill would reduce the power of consumers to make decisions for themselves and give that power to the government,”
said Carl Szabo, Vice President and General Counsel at NetChoice.
“It’s our role to decide what online services and tools we use, not the government’s.”
The bill would also grant the FTC and HHS power to ban social media practices.
“The goal of this bill is to make being online a less enjoyable experience — which polling reveals as something the American people oppose.”
“This bill gives the federal government the power to shut down sites and services it doesn’t like, with little-to-no recourse,”
continued Szabo.
“Consumers have an abundance of tools that let them control their online experiences. Sen. Hawley’s legislation would expand governmental control over the internet.”