Roys, Wall to Introduce Legislation Protecting Kids from Social Media

GREEN BAY — Sen. Kelda Roys and Sen. Jamie Wall announced today the S.A.F.E. Kids Act, which will protect children from harmful social media practices without prohibiting them from using social media or putting unrealistic limits on tech companies or users.

Ad-based social media platforms profit by creating addictive, and sometimes predatory, algorithms that seek to influence not only adults but children with developing brains. Whistleblowers inside these tech companies have detailed that corporate executives knew about the harm that their products caused to children (negative impacts on mental health, socialization, body image, and others) and pursued children as users anyway, with minimal protections or guardrails.

The SAFE Kids Act (Stop Addictive Feeds Exploiting Kids Act) will begin circulating for co-sponsorship this week with a deadline of Dec. 1 for legislators interested in supporting it.

Sen. Kelda Roys issued the following statement:

“The most powerful and profitable companies in the history of the world have refused to protect our kids—instead, they profited off of our kids’ isolation, insecurity, and depression. We need guardrails to protect our kids as they engage with social media, to prevent the harms that are now well-documented.

“The SAFE Kids Act will ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children is paramount, and that social media companies abide by basic standards – no targeted ads or data collection on children, no addictive algorithms designed to keep kids endlessly scrolling. Our kids need us to act now to protect their health and brain development.”

Sen. Jamie Wall issued the following statement:

“Excessive use of social media isn’t good for kids, who are still figuring out who they are and learning how to relate to others. The SAFE Kids Act will help reduce teenage anxiety and depression, which spiked when smart phones and social media became common a decade ago.”

Brandy Tollefson, a school board member for the Unified School District of De Pere, offered the following statement:

“As parents, we work day in and day out for our kids, doing our best to keep them safe, healthy and happy. Social media is not going away. It takes a village to raise children, and we need to work together as parents, legislators, community members, and social media companies to make sure that kids in our communities are set up for success.”

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NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.