Requiring Social Media Protections For Children That Work for Families

by Denise Best

For over two decades, our organization has fought to ensure Connecticut's communities of color have a voice in shaping policies that affect their families. Today, one of the most pressing challenges facing our families is protecting children in an increasingly digital world. While concerns about "addictive feeds" and other online risks are legitimate, some proposed solutions fall short by taking approaches that won't effectively serve our families.

Many well-intentioned policy proposals attempt to restrict how social media platforms recommend content to minors through complicated verification procedures and content restrictions. While we share lawmakers' concerns about youth safety online, these approaches often raise significant constitutional issues that prevent them from providing actual protection. Similar laws in other states have already been blocked by courts for violating the First Amendment and conflicting with federal law. Our children deserve solutions that will stand up to legal scrutiny rather than expensive court battles.

The current system of managing online safety places an unfair burden on parents, particularly ones who are already stretched thin. Managing multiple platforms, navigating different privacy settings, and monitoring various parental controls isn't just time-consuming – it's nearly impossible for busy families juggling work and childcare responsibilities. State-specific rules would only add to this complexity by creating a patchwork of regulations that differ across the country.

While concerns about "addictive feeds" are understandable, some approaches misunderstand how modern technology actually helps protect our children. Content recommendation systems don't just serve engaging content – they help filter out inappropriate material and connect young people with educational resources and support networks that are vital for many teens, especially those from marginalized communities. Eliminating these tools entirely could leave our children exposed to more unfiltered, potentially harmful content.

“What we need from lawmakers are tools that enhance our ability to make decisions for our own families”

Let's be clear: government shouldn't be in the business of parenting our children. That's our job as parents and caregivers. What we need from lawmakers are tools that enhance our ability to make decisions for our own families, not one-size-fits-all restrictions that may not reflect our values or our children's unique needs.

Data shows that communities of color are disproportionately impacted by privacy breaches and online safety issues. Many verification requirements would force platforms to collect even more sensitive personal information from all users, creating unnecessary risks. An app store age verification approach would minimize these privacy concerns by centralizing the process through a single, secure channel.

For working parents in our communities, the ability to manage their children's online safety through a single, familiar platform would be transformative. No more researching parental control features for multiple apps or trying to keep track of different platform policies. One straightforward age verification system through the app store puts parents firmly in control of their children's digital access.

Instead of broadly restricting how platforms can serve content, we should focus on giving parents real control over which platforms their children can access in the first place. An app store age verification approach would achieve this goal while preserving the beneficial aspects of content filtering and recommendation systems that help keep our kids safe online. This is what parents want: streamlined tools to keep their kids safe, not government overreach controlling what kids can and can't do online.

Connecticut should throw its support behind federal legislation that brings parental controls to the app store level. Our families deserve a system that works for them, not against them – one that respects both our children's safety and our constitutional rights.