Md. Lawmaker to Introduce Social Media Safety Bill, Seeks Federal Law
Maryland Delegate Adrian Boafo (D) plans to introduce a bill during the next legislative session to protect children online, particularly from social media harms, he announced during a panel at a Family Online Safety Institute event Monday. The state lawmaker also advocated for federal legislation protecting kids online, with state measures supplementing it.
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Boafo said his “Protecting America's Children Online” will follow the California model, though didn't offer specifics (see 2510140010).
He emphasized that industry will sit at the table throughout the legislative process. That's because Boafo rejects the concept that "industry is a bad actor in this space,” he said. Indeed, industry knows the most, so it can “help guide” lawmakers toward making the “best decision[s]."
Maya McKenzie, senior counsel of tech policy at The Entertainment Software Association, responded to Boafo's news, saying, “Not every legislator is that optimistic about industry's role.” She added, “We'd be naive to not recognize that there is a significant amount of skepticism about … the tech industry at large.”
In response, Boafo said that just because “industry takes the lead” doesn't mean legislators will "agree on every single passing point” or “idea.” He assured McKenzie he would “challenge” industry when necessary.
In addition, he argued that laws protecting kids online must be "easy" for parents to understand, but not block innovation. Accordingly, he advocated “a federal bill that kind of encompasses a lot of this stuff,” but allows states to “come in and tweak things and regulate things, especially when it comes to algorithms."
Nicola Wright, director of user trust & online safety at Nintendo of America, agreed that “there's no one-size-fits-all solution.”
Congress “has abdicated a responsibility to the American people” by not having federal legislation, Boafo said.