Don’t Let Fearmongering Derail a New Law That Has Real Teeth to Protect Kids’ Privacy

August 9, 2022
Communication Services, Information Technology

By: Gizmondo

August 9, 2022

For two decades, we have watched as the tech sector rose from quirky start-ups – many of which originated here in the state of California – to global behemoths with the power to entertain, inform, manipulate, addict, and destabilize at an individual, local, and global scale.

Some of those hurt most by tech’s worst effects are also the most vulnerable among us. There is no longer any question as to the nature of the harm to children around the globe, including heightened body image issues for one-in-three teenage girls on Instagram, death and injury inspired by TikTok challenges, and the sexualization of children on YouTube.

Leaders have rightly taken notice of the growing mental health crisis among young people. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called out social media’s role in the crisis, and, earlier this year, President Biden addressed these concerns in his State of the Union address.