Leaders in Tallahassee Shouldn’t Let Bad Actors Pass the Buck to Others

By Catalina Stubbe

In recent years, it’s become undeniable that large social media companies like Facebook and TikTok have had a harmful effect on children across the country. Mental health issues linked directly to dangerous online content are on the rise, and more than a third of teens report that social media has had a harmful effect on their lives.

Despite that fact, more than half of teenagers report it would be difficult to quit apps like Instagram – which is owned by Facebook – and TikTok.

Today, screen time and social media overuse rank as top concerns for parents. However, it can be difficult for families to set responsible limits on social media platforms designed to keep their users scrolling for hours on end. That’s why more and more parents are asking lawmakers to step in with a solution.

A new poll found that 87% of parents support regulations to protect children from dangerous content on the internet. The same survey found that more than 90% of parents believe online content providers should take responsibility for shielding kids and teenagers from inappropriate and harmful materials online.

Recently, leaders in the state legislature have taken steps that directly address parents’ concerns. Elected officials passed legislation last year that puts the onus on the companies that provide and promote dangerous, addictive, and explicit content to minors – including social media platforms and pornography companies – to prevent minors from reaching those materials online.

However, a group of companies that includes Facebook, TikTok, and Pornhub are pushing for changes that would undo the progress legislators in Tallahassee have made.

Instead of taking steps to protect children from their addictive and harmful algorithms, Facebook, TikTok, and the porn industry are trying to convince lawmakers to pass legislation that would regulate other companies and require them to use age verification technology to check the ages of users trying to log onto social media platforms.

That means these companies wouldn’t be held responsible for addictive apps and harmful content. The plan even includes loopholes that would allow social media platforms to continue pushing dangerous content to children since kids and teenagers can still access their sites through any web browser.

Facebook’s proposal has earned the support of other companies that have realized the benefit of passing off responsibility for their own problems. The porn industry, for example, has endorsed similar so-called “device filter” legislation that also includes workarounds that would allow them to show inappropriate content to underage children without consequence.

A group representing some of the most prevalent pornography companies even pushed this “solution” in front of the Supreme Court recently. Justice Samuel Alito pointed out during oral arguments that the porn industry wants to “put the costs” of protecting children onto businesses like Google and Apple because they “don’t want to pay” to keep kids safe online.

There is absolutely no value in cutting and pasting regulations advanced by social media giants, and the pornography industry. Instead, these companies should implement measures to keep minors from their platforms.

We already know that legislation targeting harmful online materials at the content-provider level works. After passing legislation requiring porn websites to use age verification, many pornography companies stopped operating in our state.

Additionally, we know the technology exists for social media companies and porn sites to verify users’ ages. Instagram even rolled out an age verification program last fall.

The fact is that dangerous apps are harmful to our children, and for far too long, these bad actors have avoided accountability for their actions. Lawmakers shouldn’t let them avoid responsibility again by falling for a transparent effort to put the onus on others.

Catalina Stubbe is the Director of Hispanic Outreach for Moms for Liberty