The committee is right to tackle the needs of kids, teens and their families, but risks advancing bills that while well-intentioned may not be effective nor in line with what some parents and teens actually want.

As a father of three young children who serves on the committee of jurisdiction in Congress, this debate is both personal and political. Social media corporations are attention-fracking our children. Parents deserve more power.

he fight over how to protect children online under the First Amendment has intensified in the opening weeks of the year. Two product-liability trials recently began asking whether social-media services such as Instagram and YouTube qualify as unsafe products for minors because of allegedly defective design features.

For kids with access to digital devices and Internet connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) is almost impossible to avoid. Generative AI is embedded in search results, social media feeds, video games, education technology, and even toys.

Many countries have begun implementing laws around online age verification, with the goal of keeping youth safe from adult content. However, the lack of informed discussion about the risks to privacy and security could leave adults and youth alike in unexpectedly vulnerable positions.

Millions of Instagram users were left concerned over a potential data breach after they reported receiving a password reset email from the social media platform, despite not requesting a reset.

Parents have valid concerns about how online environments shape their children’s behavior. However, as the House Energy and Commerce Committee advances a comprehensive package of children’s online safety bills, the crucial question isn’t whether lawmakers should act, but how responsibility should be shared.

Creating and managing a positive digital environment for children has become a priority for parents, lawmakers, and technology companies. However, as proposals progress to develop solutions and implement protections, we must ensure that our approaches address parents’ concerns without creating additional issues from the extensive collection of minors’ data.