Schatz Statement On New FTC Proposal To Protect Children’s Privacy Online

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission unveiled a proposal aimed at expanding protections for children’s privacy online. Specifically, the proposal would limit the ability of social media platforms to send push notifications to young users and further limit data retention for youth, among other things.

“Tech platforms have knowingly harvested and profited off of children’s data for years, using targeted advertising and other tools to keep kids scrolling at the expense of their mental health and development,” said Senator Schatz. “The FTC’s proposal is an encouraging step toward implementing safeguards to protect the youngest users of social media against constant surveillance and manipulation. But rulemaking is no substitute for law – Congress needs to act. We urgently need to pass legislation that will protect kids online by setting minimum age requirements for social media use and banning algorithmic targeting for children and teens.”

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