Latest news with #SenateBill5708
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Push for social media safeguards to protect children derails in Washington House
(Photo by SDI Productions via Getty Images) A bill that gained bipartisan support in the Washington state Senate to strengthen online safety for children has failed to move forward in the House. Senate Bill 5708 came at the request of Attorney General Nick Brown's office and would have prevented social media companies from pushing addictive feeds and sending notification alerts during certain hours to children under age 18. Gov. Bob Ferguson also backed the bill. It passed the Senate with bipartisan support, with eight Republicans joining Democrats, but failed to receive a hearing in the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, said she knew the bill needed more work, but was disappointed it didn't receive a public hearing in the House. 'It felt like a pretty abrupt end,' she said, adding that supporters had 'already compromised quite a bit' on the bill. Likewise, Brown said he was disappointed the bill didn't get a House hearing, calling the proposal a 'commonsense' step to improve youth mental health. 'Compulsive social media use has demonstrably harmful impacts on young people. It's disappointing not everyone is treating this crisis with the urgency it deserves,' he said. The bill was also backed by the Washington Children's Alliance, an advocacy organization, after conversations with educators and health officials raised alarm about how social media can negatively affect children. Since the pandemic, there's been an increase in depression and anxiety among children. In a 2023 advisory, the U.S. Surgeon General recommended that policymakers pursue policies to limit children's access to social media to reduce the risk of harm. 'The root cause of so much of the depression and anxiety that we see all across the nation for kids is because they all have access to phones and are getting pumped with all of these really harmful feeds that are coming at all hours of the day and night,' said Stephan Blanford, executive director of the Children's Alliance. The lack of federal legislation has led to states taking action to address online safety for children and the behavioral problems it poses. California approved laws along these lines in 2022 and 2024 that industry-backed lawsuits have tied up in court. Frame's bill contains similar provisions to the California legislation. However, she said that many of the criticisms around the bill were distractions and that the attorney general was aware of the lawsuits and that the bill was designed to avoid traps seen in other states. 'It's a complicated bill,' she said, adding it was easy for the tech industry to highlight the flaws the bill initially had. Blanford said the Children's Alliance worked with the attorney general's office to draft the legislation and ensure it was constitutional and that the bill was designed to address some of the patterns that can leave children addicted to social media feeds. 'Technology companies have a huge incentive, financial incentive, to addict our children to their products,' Blanford said. Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland, the chair of the Consumer Protection and Business Committee, said concerns about the constitutionality of the bill and privacy violations for youth led to her decision not to hear it this session. 'It felt like it wasn't ready and that's what I kept hearing from people,' Walen said. Walen rejected suggestions that her decision had to do with Microsoft being located in her district. 'I work for the people,' Walen said. 'The 48th legislative district, that's who I work for.' Instead, Walen said she hoped to explore the issue further and work with technology companies to see how to refine the bill ahead of the next session. Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro Wooley, one of the cosponsors, said he supported the intent of the bill but still thinks it needs more work and that lawmakers need to engage further on it with tech companies and wait until the California litigation is resolved. Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, was the only Democrat who voted against the bill when it passed the Senate. She said Tuesday that regulating technology can be a challenge. 'I actually think it needs to wait a year or wait until some of those other states have resolved it so we have more clear direction on where we need to go,' Dhingra said.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill aimed at protecting kids from ‘addictive' online algorithms passes WA Senate
As children are spending more time on social media, the Washington State Senate passed a bill to protect kids from algorithms made to keep attention on online platforms. Senate Bill 5708 will regulate the type of content users see in their feeds as well as limiting the number of push notifications sent to kids' devices, according to the Washington State Senate. 'These sophisticated algorithms are so good at keeping you scrolling and scrolling. They can take our attention away from everything else going on in the world,' State Senator Noel Frame (D-Seattle) said. 'Research shows there's a direct link between screentime and youth mental health, and I think the Legislature has a responsibility to step in to see if we can help put some real protections in place for kids,' she continued. The State Senate referenced a U.S. Surgeon General report saying that three hours of daily online activity can double the risk of mental health issues. Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown worked jointly with the State Senate to develop the bill. 'This is a commonsense and legally sound approach to give families peace of mind their children aren't being tracked or manipulated by the social media platforms they enjoy,' Brown said. The bill will now head to the Washington State House. For more information on the bill visit:
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WA Senate panel advances age-based restrictions for social media platforms
The Brief A Washington Senate committee has advanced a proposal to put responsibilities and restrictions on online companies and platforms that serve kids and teens. Proponents say they are necessary to protect children from the harms of social media, while critics question the legality of the law. OLYMPIA, Wash. - A Senate committee advanced a proposal on party lines Thursday to put responsibilities and restrictions on online companies and platforms that serve kids and teens. Supporters say the standards protect children from the documented harms of social media, while opponents argue the bill will not even have a chance to keep kids safe. What we know Senate Bill 5708 would require companies that provide online services to provide data and privacy protections to all users under 18-years-old. Those protections include not collecting and using a minor's personal information, not giving them notifications at certain periods of the day and not providing them an "addictive feed" that displays content based on the minor's information. Federal law regulates online privacy for children under 13. Recent attempts in Congress to bolster those regulations faltered, and some states have attempted to take the issue into their own hands. Prime sponsor state Senator Noel Frame (D-Seattle), said her legislation aims to uphold the existing standards for kids under 13 while extending them to those 13 to 17. "We have all seen the ways that children's mental health suffers at the expense of the companies that seek to profit off their negative emotions, quite frankly," she told the Senate Committee on Business, Financial Services and Trade on February 13. "And let's be honest, it affects all of us too. Any of us that have been on a social media platform knows exactly what we're talking about with addictive patterns." Frame said online platforms need to do more to protect minors from the harms of social media, like those outlined by the U.S. Surgeon General last summer. On Thursday, all Democrats on the Senate panel voted in favor of moving the bill and its restrictions forward. "We should take action to protect our kids against what we know are harms that are happening right now," said state Senator Derek Stanford (D-Bothell). The other side Groups representing tech companies have come out in opposition to the bill. They raised questions about the constitutionality of the regulations on free speech and interstate commerce grounds. They also point out that similar legislation across the country is being challenged in the courts. While they expressed support for protecting kids online, committee Republicans also questioned the legality of the restrictions and how feasible they were. Members offered two amendments to the legislation, but they both failed. Ultimately, they voted against the bill, saying the state should wait before spending money on implementing rules that could be overturned. "Even if this bill was to pass and the governor was to sign it, we would be assured of it being held up in the courts for at least a couple of years," said state Senator Phil Fortunato (R-Auburn). "Which means that if our intention is to protect our children, it's gonna be two years before the courts decide what's going on." What's next The bill now moves to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which has until February 28 to consider the legislation and whether to move it to the full Senate. A companion bill in the House is slated for a vote on Friday, though it is not clear at this point which version would be the ultimate vehicle for the regulations to make it into law. The Source Information in this story is from Albert James, a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University. Politics: Lawmakers propose pay-by-mile charge for WA drivers Food: Starbucks phasing out plastic cups for cold drinks in WA, other states Local: IRS tax refund schedule 2025: What you need to know To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
