H.R.2657 - Sammy’s Law (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R.2657, also known as Sammy's Law, aims to enhance child safety on large social media platforms. It mandates that these platforms create and maintain real-time application programming interfaces (APIs) for third-party safety software providers. This allows parents or guardians to delegate management of a child's online interactions and content to these providers.
Expected Effects
The law's implementation would lead to increased parental control over children's social media usage. It would also foster a market for third-party safety software designed to protect children from online harms. The FTC would play a significant role in overseeing compliance and ensuring data privacy.
Potential Benefits
- Enhanced parental control over children's online activities.
- Increased protection for children against cyberbullying, human trafficking, and other online harms.
- Fosters innovation in child safety software.
- Provides a national standard, preventing conflicting state laws.
- Empowers parents with tools to manage their children's online safety.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential privacy concerns regarding the collection and use of children's data by third-party software providers.
- Compliance costs for large social media platforms.
- Risk of over-regulation and stifling of innovation.
- Possible circumvention of the law by tech-savvy children.
- Dependence on the effectiveness of third-party software, which may not always be reliable.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill's focus on protecting children aligns with the government's general welfare mandate, as outlined in the Preamble of the US Constitution. However, the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech could be implicated if the third-party software unduly restricts a child's ability to express themselves online. The Commerce Clause (Article I, Section 8) provides the basis for federal regulation of social media platforms operating across state lines.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).