Welcome to the Future Media Podcast, where renowned privacy lawyer Alan Chappel and I go deep into the collision of Big Tech and the future of the world.
This week, we’ve begun getting our teeth into US efforts to protect children from the threat of social media.
A law called the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, passed with a 91-3 bipartisan majority in the US Senate only to be derailed by a massive lobbying effort by Meta.
Parents who have lost children to drug dealers, suicide, and predators on social media were left heartbroken again.
Later this year, Meta will face a trial brought by multiple US states who allege the company has addicted teens and damaged millions of young people’s lives for profit.
As I prepare for that trial - and as I have been getting to know some of the families involved - I wanted to know more about KOSA.
So, in this episode, Alan and I welcomed Bailey Sanchez from well-regarded thinktank The Future of Privacy Forum in Washington who’s been following KOSA.
While KOSA failed at its first run, its sponsors are committed to bringing it back.
So we ask:
Why does the US still not have a comprehensive Federal privacy law 30 years into the internet era?
How does KOSA plan to modernise outdated laws to reflect the digital era of social media?
Is it even possible for America to rein in social media given the politics and lobbying?
Who has the duty of care? Is it kids, the parents, the platforms, the government?
Did the US’ decision to turn off TikTok set a precedent for Meta?
And if America doesn’t do it, might another nation decide to ban Meta on its own?
Welcome to the Future Media podcast. Listen here, or on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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See you next time :)
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