US Proposes Law To Sue Instagram, TikTok For Getting Kids Addicted To Social Media
By focusing on whether apps rely on an addictive algorithm instead of focusing on the content of these apps, Cunningham has avoided a clash with a federal immunity that exempts social media companies from state reforms - Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act
A new proposal intends to sue social media apps like Instagram and TikTok for getting kids addicted.
The new California proposal is the first to take effects of apps like Instagram on kids' mental health seriously. The bipartisan proposal spearheaded by Jordan Cunningham and Buffy Wicks wants to hold social media giants accountable for running features that harm the mental well-being of kids.
The most interesting part? The legislation is retroactive, i.e., companies would be at legal risk even for any past damage to kids and teenagers.
In conversation with Politico, Cunningham said that the bill is just like the landmark legislation on Big Tobacco's marketing to kids. Cunningham added how social media addiction is causing "eating disorders... depression and suicidal ideation" among teenagers.
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Focusing on apps' addictive algorithm
By focusing on whether apps rely on an addictive algorithm instead of focusing on the content of these apps, Cunningham has avoided a clash with a federal immunity that exempts social media companies from state reforms - Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act.
The upcoming Assembly Bill 2408 essentially tries to build on fires already set alight over the last year with internal revelations and whistleblower testimonies about how Instagram and Facebook group of apps are harming kids and their mental health.
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Also read: Zuckerberg's Meta Building An AI-Supported 'Universal Speech Translator'
According to an internal document that leaked last year, Facebook and parent company Meta are well aware of the ill-effects of Instagram on kids' mental health - causing a barrage of issues from self-harm to suicide... yet they take no action.
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Also read: Sex Rooms And Rape: Researcher Unearths Metaverse's Dangers To Kids
What do you think - should tech companies like Facebook be held accountable for addicting kids of today? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
References
Instagram, TikTok could get sued for addicting kids under California proposal. (2022, March 15). POLITICO.
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