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Wave of Bills Aimed at Protecting Teens from Social Media, Proposed Data Privacy Protections in VT & More

February 17, 2023 (1 min read)

FL, Other States Seek to Protect Teens from Social Media

A bill (HB 591) introduced in Florida this month would require social media companies to disclose to users that that they employ “addictive design features” like auto play and infinite scrolling.

The bill is part of a growing bipartisan wave of legislation aimed at protecting teenage users from the potential harms that could come to them from using social media. But Florida’s measure is different from legislation introduced in states like Maryland and New Mexico, which are modeled after the child data privacy law (AB 2273) passed in California last year, prohibiting social media platforms from employing addictive algorithms and limiting the data they’re allowed to collect on teenage users.

Another approach is being taken in Ohio, where Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has proposed a budget calling for social media companies to obtain parental consent before letting those under the age of 16 access their platforms. (PLURIBUS NEWS, COLUMBUS DISPATCH, STATE NET)

VT Aims to Strengthen Residents’ Data Privacy

A bill (HB 121) under consideration in the Vermont House would amend the state’s consumer privacy law to allow residents to request that their data not be tracked by data brokers and to have any data already collected deleted. The measure would also prohibit businesses from collecting biometric data such as fingerprints without consent and from sharing such data with law enforcement without a court order. (VTDIGGER, STATE NET)

SEC Proposes Tighter Control Over Crypto Firms

The SEC voted 4-1 to propose changes to federal rules that would expand federal custody requirements to include assets like cryptocurrencies. The proposed changes would require custodians of any client assets, including cryptocurrencies, to hold those assets with a federal- or state-chartered bank or qualify as a registered broker-dealer or other specific type of financial institution. (CNBC)

—Compiled by KOREY CLARK

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