WASHINGTON—Today, Sens. Brian Schatz, Tom Cotton, Chris Murphy and Katie Britt introduced a federal proposal to require online services to verify the age of all internet users and require parental consent for young Americans to use social media. If enacted, this would require massive, widespread data collection and retention, undermining Americans’ privacy and security. It would also deprive parents of their constitutional right to make decisions about what’s best for their kids online.
“Being a parent in the twenty-first century is hard, but inserting the government between parents and their teens is the wrong approach. Congress must look for solutions to address the concerns raised by social media companies, parents and teens, rather than infringing Americans’ constitutionally-protected rights and violating their privacy,” said NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel Carl Szabo. “Instead, Congress should follow Florida and require social media education as part of federal funds: an approach that is both constitutional and conservative.”
Szabo continued: “Congress has tried this before and lost both times in the U.S. Supreme Court for violating the First Amendment.”
NetChoice is currently suing the State of California for a similar provision. You can read more about NetChoice v. Bonta here.
Please contact Krista Chavez at press@netchoice.org with questions.