Bill seeks social media safeguards

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jon Husted is backing a bipartisan bill that would require social media companies to give parents more insight into how their children use those platforms. The proposal, known as "Sammy's Law," was introduced by Husted, an Ohio Republican, with Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama. It centers on giving parents alerts when activity on a child's account points to possible risk, according to a press release from Husted's office. The bill would apply to large companies, defined as those with at least 100 million monthly users or $1 billion in annual revenue. Under the plan, those platforms would have to allow access to outside safety tools that are approved by the Federal Trade Commission. Those tools would monitor for certain warning signs and notify parents when they appear. Examples listed in the bill include messages tied to suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, sexual harassment or similar concerns. A companion version of the legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House. Husted said the bill responds to concerns about how minors are being contacted and exploited online, including cases involving drug sales and extortion. "Parents deserve to know what their kids are exposed to online and have the ability to protect them and save lives," he said. Supporters point to several cases involving teenagers. The bill is named after a 16-year-old California boy, Sammy Chapman, who died after taking drugs he obtained through social media that were later found to contain fentanyl. Lawmakers have also referenced an Ohio teen, James Woods, who died after being targeted in a sextortion case. If passed, the measure would require companies to provide real-time access to certain data through application programming interfaces so alerts can be sent. The proposal follows other recent efforts in Congress focused on minors and social media, including bills addressing fentanyl sales online, data privacy and how artificial intelligence systems interact with children.