After Australia passes social media ban lawmakers probed on why Congress hasn't done more to protect kids
After Australian teens were kicked off of social media this week following a nationwide social media ban for anyone in the country under the age of 16, several lawmakers and...
By Fox News · Fox News
After Australian teens were kicked off of social media this week following a nationwide social media ban for anyone in the country under the age of 16, several lawmakers and other political figures called on the United States to do something similar. Congress has passed some general online safety laws, such as limits on the collection of minors' information by social media platforms, but, thus far, Congress has not enacted any laws that would change who can use social media platforms, or how the apps are designed for minors. "I imagine it's the opposition from the tech industry," said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. "I see social media as a catastrophe for the mental health of the next generation and I feel like society is conducting an unprecedented experiment on the psyche of young Americans." TEXAS FAMILY SUES CHARACTER.AI AFTER CHATBOT ALLEGEDLY ENCOURAGED AUTISTIC SON TO HARM PARENTS AND HIMSELF Torres added that he believes there is a need for reform, but also conceded that it is a "complicated area" in light of the First Amendment. "I do think more congressional action would be wise," Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital when asked why he thought Congress had not passed laws that will better protect kids on social media. "Obviously, we're a country that values freedom and so a lot of people feel like that would be either power better exercised by the state, or power better exercised by parents." However, Johnson said, he does think "we need to hold some of these platforms accountable," noting that "they have technological tools that they could very easily use to keep kids safe." After Australia passed its social medi ban on kids under the age of 16, both Republicans and Democrats came out to urge the United States to enact better safety measures for kids on social media. These figures included former President Barack Obama's chief of staff while he was in office, Rahm Emanuel, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Brian Schat…