Causes.com
| 5.22.24
EU Investigates Meta for Addictive Effects on Children
Should the U.S. government do more to regulate social media?
Updated May 22, 2024
- The European Union opened up an investigation into Meta, the U.S.-based social media giant, for the addictive effect Facebook and Instagram have on children.
- The investigation could have far-reaching implications for how the company's products are designed.
- In a statement, the European Commission said Meta's products may be exploiting the weaknesses and inexperience of minors to create a dependency on their platforms, which threatens their mental well-being.
- The EU said it has been in touch with U.S. counterparts about the investigation, as three dozen states have sued Meta for using "psychologically manipulative product features" to entice children, which is a violation of consumer protection laws.
What’s the story?
- Efforts to enforce tighter regulations on social media platforms are being supported by both Republicans and Democrats as the Supreme Court hears cases on various constraints.
- The Supreme Court heard two cases that center on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects social media companies from lawsuits over user-generated content. Gonzalez v. Google alleged that Google contributed to the 2015 Paris attacks by suggesting ISIS videos on YouTube, while Twitter v. Taamneh assessed Twitter's legal obligation for failing to take down terrorist content.
- The court expressed doubts about restricting Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, with Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh worried such a decision could crash the digital economy. The justices are expected to announce decisions on the cases by June.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee has also welcomed testimonies from parents and experts regarding the harmful impact of social media on children.
Social media regulation in the U.S.
- Several bills introduced in Congress address the negative impact of social media on children and the American population, such as addiction, cyberbullying, eating disorders, sexual abuse, and suicide.
- These bills include:
Clean Slate for Kids Online Act: A bill that would let Americans demand the deletion of any data companies collected about them before they turned 13.
EARN IT Act: A bill that would amend Section 230, which gives online platforms legal immunity for most of their users’ behavior.
The Kids Online Safety Act: A bill that would allow children and their parents to opt out of content algorithms and disable product features.
- Before a new law can be passed, Congress must agree on the details that lobbyists can influence. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) talked to NBC News about Big Tech lobbyists:
“[They are] so powerful that you can literally have a bill that got through the judiciary committee with strong bipartisan support, you can get promises from leaders that it's going to be a major bill, and within 24 hours, it's gone, it's vanished.”
Big Tech lobbying
- Nearly all members of Congress (94%) overseeing privacy and antitrust matters have received money from a Big Tech corporate Political Action Committee (PAC) or lobbyist.
- Facebook is one of the biggest corporate lobbying spenders in the country. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote in a joint statement to OpenSecrets:
“Big Tech has once again exerted its insidious influence through powerful armies of lobbyists and deceptive promotion campaigns, setting back essential efforts to protect kids and consumers.”
Social media regulation around the world
Australia
- Australia’s Online Safety Act 2021 strengthened the nation's online safety laws and granted substantial powers to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant to request that social media platforms remove “harmful” content.
European Union
- Germany's NetzDG law, which came into effect in 2018, forces companies with over two million users to establish a process that reviews content complaints and removes any unlawful content within 24 hours.
- In the European Union, social media platforms are fined if they do not delete extremist content within one hour. Starting in 2024, the Digital Services Act will be enforced in Europe, which bans advertising that targets children and mandates that large online platforms make the workings of their recommended algorithms transparent to users.
India
- The new Information Technology Act amendment allows the Indian government to challenge social media companies' content moderation decisions.
South Korea
- In South Korea, any material considered "harmful" by the state is censored. Additionally, South Korea’s cyber defamation law empowers the police to take action against citizens for online comments deemed "hateful” without receiving a victim report.
United Kingdom
- The UK’s Online Safety Bill, which has passed its final report stage, proposes to improve internet safety and prevent children from accessing certain content. The bill requires companies to proactively seek out and remove illegal content rather than acting on user reports.
What do you think? Should the U.S. government do more to regulate social media?
-Laura Woods
(Photo credit: Flickr)
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Depends on what you mean by 'regulate social media'! I am all for reducing the violence and lies and insurrection promulgated by the right wing and white supremicist groups.
Why 'social media' and not Fox 'News' ?
Congress doing something (anything) to protect children from harm?
Brilliant.
So many of you are fighting so damn hard for every fertilized egg to come to fruition, but haven't done diddly squat to protect and provide for the living child. (Republicans, read that again.)
Social media is nothing but a high tech version of the press, so therefore is entitled to the same constitutional protections.
Some excellent examples of what other countries (Australia, EU, India, South Korea, UK) are doing for the US to develop an approach to removing inappropriate information, and limit access to children.
It's long past time to regulate social media.
Hate speech, propaganda, misinformation, and calls to violence cannot be allowed to fester openly on social media. The First Amendment does not protect these evils, especially on private technology platforms, and the First Amendment does not apply in all countries.
If social media continues to fail in its ability to protect people from lies, violence, hate, and government manipulation, then what will happen to democracy and civil society?
Although I fully agree that some things on social media should be regulated, the government has no control over the individual's mindset. Sadly, there are people out there who thrive on creating chaos and get "their rocks off" realizing the results of their BS. Some people are permently on the "pitty pot" for what ever reason and try to make themselves feel better. Then there are the "glory seekers" who thrive on attention and their "15 minutes of fame". Can't stop them all
Then there are the social media companies who are only into it for the money. Subscribers and advitisers are the way they get it.. The more subscribers, the more adverising pays for a spot. Get the attention of subscribers, you have more control over the thought processes of the masses. Excellent way to promote lies, hatred, and control the thinking.
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Anyone else remember the anti-computer rhetoric in the late eighties and early nineties?
Much of it aimed at the computer gaming industry.
In the 1980s we also had the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), which sought to add a rating system to music albums. Led by Mary “Tipper” Gore and Susan Baker, the PMRC aimed to protect children from what they perceived as harmful lyrics.
In 2024 we still have addictive violent computer games and vulgar, sexually explicit pop music.
In the end parents should play a greater role, the government limitations should be narrow,
Depends on how we want to regulate it. If it is to reduce the harm to children and be transparent about information, then it would be good. If it allowed discourse without causing harm, this could be good.
If the goal is to give more control to block stories about our leaders or their families then I am not sure the regulations would do more than to protect those in power.
In recent years we have seen stories blocked that were later (after elections) be determined as true to prevent the damaging information from impacting elections. This seems to happen on both sides of the aisle with stormy Daniels, Tara Reade, hunter Biden's laptop and Ashley Biden's diary
Yes the gov. should impose more regulations on social media. It's a sure bet the social media companies won't do it and have only made symbolic geastures at regulating themselves.
Social media damages more than children.
How many ar-15s do you think this guy owns?
SM/online media wants rules, so they know where the lines are and makes competition easier. (Openly stated re AI.)
A the same time no rules means unlimited money by any means, and greed+competition mean there is zero self regulation. They all know this too.
So they need rules. Yesterday.
Will need list of Congress members who receive money from the Big Tech lobbyists.
Too
msny hurt, too much bad stuff. But, where are the parents?
Misinformation, disinformation, and libel keep going unprosecuted. Cyberbullying and harassment are virtually unchecked and child porn circulators are less likely to be punished than their victims.
There should be standards. They should self regulate. But they don't. People get suspended for quoting a book or film, but people spreading toxic hate and lies are ok. There should be some sort of oversight. Might create lots of jobs. For reasonable people. Not conspiracy spreaders.
So, other countries can/have "taken action" but the USA (greatest country in the world?) just lets it run roughshod?? Yes, something needs to be done!
Someone needs to have oversight... Congress, looks like needs to be you. Please get to work and do the right things for integrity and honesty; our democratic republic depends on it.
Social Media spreads disinformation on a regular basis and it is high time something is done about it!
Lies and misinformation are unacceptable...
I think it depends on the circumstances. There should be prevention against identity theft, privacy, etc. But for fun usage? Let's not have a nanny state for this the way some people DON'T want it for other things.