US pushes for law on internet use

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate will take up legislation this week aimed at protecting children from dangerous content on the internet, moving forward with what could be the first sweeping regulation of the technology industry in decades.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced yesterday that he will introduce the bipartisan bill in the Senate, hoping to pass it before the chamber leaves for recess in August.

The bill has been stalled for months, despite more than two-thirds of the Senate signing on to support it and families of children who have been bullied and harmed online advocating for its passage.

Schumer said on the Senate floor that the bill is personal to him after meeting in recent months with parents of children who committed suicide after being bullied online, targeted by predators or having their data stolen.

Parents’ advocates say social media and other tech companies need to do more to prevent trauma suffered by children and teens who inevitably spend too much time online.

“Social media has helped hundreds of millions of people connect in new ways over the past two decades,” Schumer said. “But there are also new and sometimes serious health risks that come with those benefits. We cannot ignore these risks. On this issue, we desperately need to catch up.”

The online safety bill, which the U.S. Senate will consider alongside another bill to update children’s online privacy laws, would be the first major technology regulation package to move forward in the U.S. in years.

While there has long been bipartisan support for the idea that big tech companies should be subject to greater government scrutiny, there has been little consensus on how to do so.

The U.S. Congress passed legislation this year that would force Chinese-owned social media company TikTok to sell or face a ban, but that law only targets one company.

Contents Danger

Law aimed at protecting children from dangerous content on the Internet.

Perspectives

The bill’s prospects in the US House of Representatives are currently unclear.

Senate

But if it passes the Senate with an overwhelming bipartisan vote — as expected — its proponents hope to pressure House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, to introduce it before the November elections or the end of the session in January 2025.

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