“Protection against addictive platforms” – Kommersant FM – Kommersant

Kommersant FM columnist Alexander Levy explains why the Utah authorities prohibit children from using social networks at night and under what conditions this is still possible.

Regional authorities in the United States have banned children from using social networks without parental permission. Two relevant laws were signed by Utah Governor Spencer Cox. According to the authorities, the measures are designed to protect citizens under the age of 18 from addictive platforms, reports Associated Press.

The new requirements, which come into force next March, are similar to the curfew. From 10:30 pm to 6:30 am, social networks in Utah are closed by default. Access to them will require age verification for any user.

Also, the new law implies full access of parents to the accounts of their children. This is necessary, among other things, in case one of the users is going to sue technology companies demanding compensation for the harm caused. And in the case of children under 16, the burden of proof of innocence is shifted to the owners of social networks.

Let me remind you that last year the state of California passed a law requiring IT companies to put the safety of children in the first place. Among other things, the document prohibits the extraction of metadata, that is, the use of information about minors that can cause them physical or moral harm.

Legislators in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Ohio, and New Jersey are also pushing similar proposals to regulate social media. It is expected that technology companies will not stand aside and will go to court with their proposals and demands before the document enters into force.

The assumption is based, in part, on the fact that the new laws do not have obvious instruments and mechanisms for compliance with the rules. The simplest thing that raises the question is: how to check the age if data on children under 13 years old is already forbidden to collect online under current laws?