Written by Amitabh Kumar

The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act is a bill introduced by Senators Schatz, Cotton, Murphy, and Brit in the US Senate. The main points of the bill are:

• Prohibiting Social Media Companies from Collecting Personal Information from Children under 16: The bill requires social media companies to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 16.
• Requiring Social Media Companies to Design Age-Appropriate User Interfaces: The bill requires social media companies to design user interfaces that are appropriate for the age of the user.
• Prohibiting Social Media Companies from Using Behavioral Advertising for Children under 16: The bill prohibits social media companies from using behavioral advertising to target children under the age of 16.
• Requiring Social Media Companies to Provide Privacy Settings for Children under 16: The bill requires social media companies to provide privacy settings for children under the age of 16.
• Creating a Youth Privacy and Cybersecurity Division at the FTC: The bill creates a new Youth Privacy and Cybersecurity Division at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to focus on privacy and cybersecurity issues for children under the age of 16.
• Requiring Social Media Companies to Submit Annual Compliance Reports to the FTC: The bill requires social media companies to submit annual compliance reports to the FTC to demonstrate their compliance with the new requirements.
• Establishing Penalties for Violations: The bill establishes penalties for social media companies that violate the new requirements, including fines of up to $50,000 per violation.

The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act aims to protect the privacy and safety of children on social media platforms by imposing new requirements on social media companies and creating a new division at the FTC to focus on youth privacy and cybersecurity.

We in India can learn from The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act in several ways to improve its own legislation for protecting children online. Here are a few examples:

• Age verification: The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act requires social media companies to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 16. India can consider implementing similar age verification requirements to ensure that children under the age of 18 are not exposed to harmful content online.
• Behavioral Advertising: The bill also requires social media companies to design user interfaces that are appropriate for the age of the user. India can consider implementing similar requirements to ensure that the content and user interfaces of social media platforms are age-appropriate and not harmful to children.
• Behavioral Advertising: The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act prohibits social media companies from using behavioral advertising to target children under the age of 16. India can consider implementing similar restrictions to protect children from potentially harmful and manipulative advertising practices.
• Privacy Settings: The bill requires social media companies to provide privacy settings for children under the age of 16. India can consider implementing similar requirements to ensure that children have control over their personal information and privacy settings.
• Penalties For Violations: The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act establishes penalties for social media companies that violate the new requirements, including fines of up to $50,000 per violation. India can consider implementing similar penalties to ensure that social media companies take their responsibilities to protect children seriously.

In summary, India can learn from The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act and implement similar measures to ensure the safety and privacy of children online. This would require a collaborative effort between the government, social media companies, parents, and other stakeholders to ensure that children are protected from online harm.