Congress Wants to Hand Your Parenting to Big Tech

4 months ago

Lawmakers are focusing on the impact of technology on youth, with the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA) at the center of debate.
KOSMA aims to ban kids under 13 from social media, despite existing platform bans due to COPPA compliance.
Studies show most under-13 social media use is with parental knowledge and assistance, not secretive behavior.
KOSMA mandates platforms to terminate accounts of under-13 users without exceptions for parental consent or family accounts.
The bill would require intrusive age verification methods, like government ID scans, risking family account access.
Platforms would enforce KOSMA with blunt tools, overriding parental decisions and concentrating power in Big Tech.
The debate highlights the need for strong privacy protections over age-based restrictions to support families.
KOSMA's approach undermines digital-age parenting by treating it as a compliance issue for Big Tech to manage.

Hasty Briefsbeta