Utah has a new law that means children need their parents’ approval

What Do Parents and Teens Can Do to Keep Their Kids Safe on Facebook? A Study of Meta Technologies, Snap, TikTok, and Related Technicolor

The hearings that took place after disclosures in the Facebook Papers prompted the companies to vow to change. More parental control options have been introduced by the four social networks. Default teens are now required to see less sensitive content, and some have also increased their moderation efforts. Some people say that the new solutions are still limited, and there needs to be more done.

“Social media platforms are offering very little substance to counter the ills their platforms incur,” said a digital security director at a market research firm. She said that the solutions put onus on the guardians to use various parental controls, such as blocking access, and to use more passive options, such as monitoring and surveilling.

Complicating matters is the fact that teens can often circumvent the parental controls while also learning how to use them. Here’s a closer look at what parents can do to help keep their kids safe online.

The plan to include a children’s version of the service was halted as a result of the leak, while the main service was made safer for young users.

Facebook provides supervision tools and resources, such as articles and advice from leading experts. Liza Crenshaw, a Meta spokeswoman, told CNN Business that their vision was for family center to be able to help parents and teens manage experiences across Meta technologies.

Another feature encourages users to take a break from the app, such as suggesting they take a deep breath, write something down, check a to-do list or listen to a song, after a predetermined amount of time. If they have been dwelling on any type of content for too long, they will be encouraged to look at architecture and travel destinations if they haven’t been thinking about it before.

Parents of teens can now see which new friends their teens have added, as well as confidentially report any accounts that may be interacting with their child, if they choose, as a new feature that Snap is working on. It’s working on a tool to give younger users the option to inform their parents when they report accounts or pieces of content.

The company told CNN Business that it would continue to add safety features and listen to feedback from experts and the community.

In July, TikTok announced new ways to make sure they don’t have any inappropriate videos. Thematurity score was assigned to the videos detected as potentially containing mature or complex themes. The tool helps people decide how much time to spend on TikToks. The tool lets users set regular screen time breaks, and provides a dashboard that details the number of times they opened the app, a breakdown of daytime and nighttime usage and more.

In addition to parental controls, the app restricts access to some features to younger users, such as Live and direct messaging. A pop-up also surfaces when teens under the age of 16 are ready to publish their first video, asking them to choose who can watch the video. Push notifications are curbed after 9 p.m. for account users ages 13 to 15, and 10 p.m. for users ages 16 to 17.

Last year the Senate did not bring up the popular messaging platform, which has been under fire for the inability to report problematic content and strangers getting in touch with young users.

Still, it’s possible for minors to connect with strangers on public servers or in private chats if the person was invited by someone else in the room or if the channel link is dropped into a public group that the user accessed. The ability to send private messages if you are 13 to 17 is open to users who receive friend invitations from anyone in the same server.

The two bills Cox signed into law also prohibit kids under 18 from using social media between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., require age verification for anyone who wants to use social media in the state and seek to prevent tech companies from luring kids to their apps using addictive features.

Digital Privacy Protections: Utah and New Jersey Stand Up for the Children’s Best Interest, Online Services and Personal Data in the Era of Digital Privacy Laws

The laws passed through Utah’s Republican-supermajority Legislature are the latest reflection of how politicians’ perceptions of technology companies are changing — and that includes pro-business Republicans.

New Jersey is one of several red states who are working on similar proposals. California, meanwhile, enacted a law last year requiring tech companies to put kids’ safety first by barring them from profiling children or using personal information in ways that could harm children physically or mentally.

It’s about time. Social networks in the United States have become potentially incredibly dangerous for children, and parents can no longer protect our kids without the tools and safeguards this law provides. Cox is right that these measures won’t be foolproof, and what implementing them actually looks like remains an open question, but it’s clear that Congress should adopt Utah’s example of protecting EVERY child in this country.

Legislation in California and New Jersey will hold tech companies accountable for the safety and mental well-being of children and teens, he said.

The laws are the latest effort from Utah lawmakers focused on children and the information they can access online. Two years ago, Cox signed legislation that mandated that tech companies block porn on cell phones and tablets if they were sold. Amid concerns about enforcement, lawmakers in the deeply religious state revised the bill to prevent it from taking effect unless five other states passed similar laws.

“Utah will soon require online services to collect sensitive information about teens and families, not only to verify ages, but to verify parental relationships, like government-issued IDs and birth certificates, putting their private data at risk of breach,” said Nicole Saad Bembridge, an associate director at NetChoice, a tech lobby group.

Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — The Book “And How We Can Realize It” by Kara Alaimo

Editor’s Note: Kara Alaimo, an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University, writes about issues affecting women and social media. Her book, “Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — The book “And How We Can Realize it” will be published by Alcove Press in the year 2024. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own. Read more opinion on CNN.

Parents will be able to access their kids’ accounts, but won’t be able to see the ads on their apps between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

One of the key components of this legislation is allowing parents access to their kids’ accounts. One of the biggest dangers children face online is toxic content. I am referring to content that 14-year-old Molly Russell saved, shared or liked in the six months before she took her own life.

There are things that have gone around social networks like the pass-out or choking challenge. In 2021, four children 12 or younger in four different states all died after trying it.

I hope groups that serve children who are questioning their gender and sexual identities and those that work with other vulnerable youth will adapt their online presences to try to serve as resources for educating parents about inclusivity and tolerance, too. It is also important that vulnerable children get better access to mental health services like therapy because they are way too young to be left to seek out the support they need online.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/27/opinions/utah-social-media-laws-protect-kids-alaimo/index.html

The Lifeline: A Free and Confidential Support Line for Suicide Prevention and Crisis in the U.S. Call or Text to Get Help

The amount of time kids are spending on social media is a huge challenge for parents. The average child is spending about five hours and 33 minutes on social media every day, while older kids are spending about eight hours and 39 minutes per day. That is more time than a full time job.

The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that lack of sleep is associated with serious harms in children — everything from injuries to depression, obesity and diabetes. The Chinese version of Tik Tok doesn’t allow kids to stay on for more than 40 minutes, so parents in the US must have a way to make sure their kids aren’t up on it all night.

Call or text for help with suicide and crisis. The free and confidential support The Lifeline provides for people in distress,prevention and crisis resources for you and your family, and best practices for professionals in the U.S. can be reached by calling. En Español: Linea de Prevencion del Suidio y Crisis: 1-888-628-9454.