States take up kids online safety as Congress stalls |
States take up kids online safety as Congress stalls
State prosecutors are turning up the heat on social media and artificial intelligence companies over their safeguards for children as federal lawmakers remain at an impasse on the issue.From new investigations to a string of settlements, verdicts and state laws, state leaders are trying to fill a gap left by Congress, which has failed to pass a major kids’ online safety bill despite substantial bipartisan concern and growing pressure from advocates.
While most in Congress say protecting children and teens online is a priority, a string of intraparty and partisan disagreements, procedural hurdles and clashes between the House and Senate have derailed legislative efforts for years.
The stalemate is spurring more action in the states, where policymakers say they’re waiting on the federal government to act.
“Parents are not asking for permission any longer. When you talk to them on the state level, they don’t care if it’s Republican or Democrat,” said John Cusey, the executive director of kids safety organization Institute for Families and Technology.
State investigations span nationwide
A flurry of new investigations and legal settlements were announced this month, including three agreements with Roblox, a gaming platform used by nearly half of minors younger than 16 in the U.S.
“Alabama stepped in where others failed to act,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) said last week, announcing the state’s $12.2 million settlement with Roblox.
“What makes AGs” a “unique creature is that we do have the ability to change business practices through the injunctive relief that we can get through our consumer protection statuses,” Marshall told The Hill in an interview Tuesday. “It’s why I think AGs are very much an underdiscussed player to deal with areas that Congress otherwise won’t act [on].”
The settlement, along with others from Nevada and West Virginia, centered on allegations Roblox failed to protect children online.
As part of Nevada’s agreement, the first of the three, all Roblox users will be........