Social media giants like Facebook and TikTok face mounting criticism for undermining children’s well-being, and Ohio families are bearing the brunt of this issue.
Soaring mental health crises, surging internet addiction, and rampant exposure to cyberbullying and inappropriate content have driven parents to their breaking point. Enough is enough − it’s time to hold these platforms accountable and demand real protections for our kids.
Ohio parents are united in their outrage. A staggering 87% of respondents back regulations to shield children from harmful online content, according to recent surveys. Over 90% want social media companies and other online platforms to take responsibility for safeguarding kids from dangerous material, while 88% support requiring tech firms − including social media and pornography sites − to use age-verification technology to block minors from accessing harmful content. Yet, instead of rising to the challenge, Big Tech and the pornography industry hide behind slick lobbying, misdirection, and profit-driven excuses to evade accountability.
Ohio’s children deserve better, and it’s time for action to match the urgency of this crisis.
Facebook’s ‘Teen Accounts’ program isn’t a fix
Facebook, for instance, launched a “Teen Accounts” program last year. Facebook claimed these Teen Accounts would keep minors safe by filtering out adult content. However, consumer rights leaders have pointed out that this change fails to address Facebook’s most predatory behaviors. The technology, they say, is effective at identifying minors. However, it’s more likely the company will use that information to serve targeted ads to young, impressionable users.
More recently, Facebook has teamed up with other large social media sites like TikTok, as well as major pornography companies, to push a self-serving plan through the Ohio Statehouse. Their plan? Legislation that would force app stores to verify users’ ages. The proposal has let Facebook and other bad actors say they support children’s online safety regulations. However, a closer look at the legislation reveals it would do little to protect children.
The bill wouldn’t stop kids from using a browser to visit harmful sites, completely sidestepping the app store. Worse still, the legislation would also force app stores to share users’ sensitive data with social media companies. That’s a dangerous proposition given these companies’ long history of misusing data for profit. Facebook and other bad actors know this plan would allow them to continue to profit off of children.
That’s why Facebook and TikTok have combined to spend millions of dollars in advertising and lobbying expenses to convince lawmakers to support their proposal, and pornography companies have even argued at the Supreme Court that others should be held liable for protecting children.
There’s a better way forward
There’s a smarter path forward, one that puts kids, not corporations, at the center. Other states are already charting the course. Florida passed a law that brings social media awareness into the classroom. Utah rolled out a statewide public service campaign to help families navigate online threats. And more than a dozen states have taken direct aim at the source, passing laws that compel pornography websites to block minors using real verification tools.
A similar measure could be applied to social media companies. Facebook is expanding the use of its Teen Accounts program, and legislation could compel the company to use the technology to keep kids off its platforms instead of identifying advertising targets.
Let’s be clear: It makes no sense to let the same companies that profit from exploiting children write the rules for protecting them. Ohio lawmakers are right to search for answers. But the solution isn’t giving Big Tech more control. It’s standing up to them and building a system that actually keeps kids safe.
Melissa Powers is a former Hamilton County prosecutor and juvenile court judge.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio lawmakers must hold Facebook and TikTok accountable for harm to children | Opinion
Reporting by Melissa Powers / Cincinnati Enquirer
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