Increasing Protections For Children Online
Over the past year, tech companies have been in the spotlight about the need to protect children and address the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the internet. In October, a former Facebook employee testified before Congress that the company knowingly spread misinformation and content that harms children. At the same time, IT companies have met with anti-trafficking advocates and stakeholders to share proposals for monitoring and combatting harmful content on their platforms.
ECPAT-USA has been at the center of this issue, advocating for child protection on Capitol Hill. In response, Congress is prioritizing legislation that assesses the psychological impact of technology on children, increases safeguards for privacy and protection, and limits the ability for companies to refuse responsibility in favor of measures that stand to protect profit margins.
Senators Edward Markey and Bill Cassidy introduced S.1628, the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act. This bill takes meaningful steps to protect children and teenagers by updating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) so that privacy rules meet the demands of the 21st century. CSAM has drastically increased in the last year, and reducing the availability of children's personal data online is foundational to reducing harms that exist on the internet.
In the House, Representative Kathy Castor recently introduced H.R. 5703, Protecting the Information of our Vulnerable Children Act. This bill also builds upon COPPA to modernize current internet safeguards. Companies have impeded upon the current minimal privacy standards, leaving children more susceptible to victimization online. Predators are strategic in targeting children, and addressing privacy and protection is an important step to ensure safety online.
With continuous advances in technology, children face new risks daily, calling for a multidisciplinary approach to halt it. ECPAT-USA remains committed to protecting children by supporting legislative initiatives that prevent these unconscionable harms.