Wednesday’s session of the Michigan Senate brought new changes for the ways in which Big Tech companies are held accountable for unethical practices that leave children and teenagers vulnerable to the perils of being exploited and bullied online or becoming addicted to endless social media scrolling.
Senate Bills 757-760, known as the “Kids Over Clicks” package, cleared the upper chamber of the Legislature. Even as a Democratic-led initiative, the package did net a few Republican votes in the process.
“Time and time again, Big Tech platforms have shown that they will always prioritize their bottom line over the safety of our children. That is unacceptable and exactly why my Senate colleagues and I passed the Kids Over Clicks package,” Camilleri said following passage of the package. “With this legislation, we’re standing up to massive tech companies and forcing them to put an end to the exploitative, dangerous, addictive feeds they use to keep our kids endlessly scrolling while they make a profit.”
Hertel said Big Tech was exploitative in this new era of constant social media and other digital app use, and that those companies have used algorithms and other techniques to affect the emotional and mental well-being — particularly of children and teenagers — in the name of keeping them scrolling and using the applications.
“And right now, parents are being asked to fight that battle without the tools they need,” Hertel said. “All the while, massive tech companies continue to grow their profit at our children’s expense. With our Kids Over Clicks package, we have the opportunity to change that and put parents back in the driver’s seat where they have the power to protect their kids online just as they do in the real world.”
Chang added that it was long past time for the Michigan Legislature to “give Michigan parents tangible avenues to protect their children from online danger.”
“Holding these corporations accountable while prioritizing the safety and privacy of our kids is a no-brainer,” Chang said.
Polehanki, a former educator, noted that the digital landscape has changed and continues to evolve, making internet safety more important as kids are more connected than ever.
“Keeping our kids safe from dangerous AI chatbots, data privacy abuses, and online exploitation is common sense, and I’m proud of our efforts to get these improved protections through the Senate,” she said.
Following passage of the bills, the cadre of co-sponsors met with members of the media to discuss the bills.
Senate Bill 757 would prohibit social media platforms from providing addictive, personal-data-driven feeds to minors unless parental consent is given.
Senate Bills 758 and 759 would mandate stricter data privacy and safety settings for minors on digital platforms, while also giving parents more control over their children’s online accounts.
Senate Bill 760 would ensure that potentially dangerous AI chatbots are inaccessible to children, including those that have the capability to encourage self-harming behaviors, illegal activities, and sexually explicit interactions.
Asked what they made of criticisms that have framed the legislation as trying to put a digital genie back into a lamp of emerging technology, Polehanki said: “What do we do? Nothing?”
Hertel added that parents are struggling to find ways to protect their children online with new technology that surpasses their own knowledge of how it works and how it affects children’s social lives and developing brains. He said that those parents have been urging Congress to take action but have yet to do so in a robust way.
In that sense, the Michigan Legislature has to step up for those parents, Hertel said.
