The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed to stand most of a California law that makes it illegal for internet-based services and applications to provide an addictive feed to users younger than 18, unless the operator doesn't know the user is a minor.
Social Media
Social media platforms are facing intense scrutiny over how they collect, share and monetize user data. As new state and federal laws focus on age verification, parental controls and transparency requirements, social media companies face legal risks around algorithmic targeting, third-party tracking and children's safety. This page follows key legislation, investigations and lawsuits shaping privacy practices for major social platforms.
Safety by design is the core element to ensuring kids remain safe online while also protecting their privacy and rights, a Public Knowledge paper argues (see 2509050046). More research is needed concerning tangible harms, panelists said during a discussion Monday about the paper.
Age assurance can be a crucial step in online safety for children, so long as it’s done carefully and in a privacy-preserving way, said experts during a Public Knowledge event Monday. However, they warned that age assurance should be part of a larger response.
California legislators worked up to the wire to make a Sept. 5 deadline for amendments, revising several bills on privacy and AI that are nearing final votes. The legislature on Friday posted fresh amendments on legislation related to universal opt-out preference signals, kids online safety and automated decisions, among other subjects. The legislative deadline to pass bills is this Friday.
Though using age assurance to access certain online platforms and websites is the route policymakers frequently take hoping to protect children online, it can end up doing more harm than good, multiple privacy organizations said in recent papers and blog posts.
Misinformation and amendments derailed a bill on data-driven pricing, also called “surveillance pricing,” that was nearing the finish line in California. After Senate appropriators last week narrowed the legislation to apply only to grocery stores (see 2509020025), Assemblymember Chris Ward (D) punted AB-446 to next year, he said in a statement Thursday.
A federal court erred when it declined to block a Tennessee age-verification law, NetChoice said Wednesday. The trade association asked the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the district court decision and issue a preliminary injunction against HB-1891, which requires that social media companies verify the age of account holders and gain parental consent from users younger than 18 before they can open accounts
The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) asked a federal court Tuesday to permanently block a Florida social media law that would prohibit kids 13 and younger from creating social media accounts through required age verification.
Privacy Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. All articles can be found by searching the title or clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Consumers filed 214 complaints in the first year since the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (OCPA) took effect, with the majority concerning online data brokers, according to a report from the state’s DOJ. The right to delete data was consumers' top complaint.