CHILD'S -ONLINE SAFETY- CHIDES : GLOBAL PRECIS

 

Big Tech challenges '' safety laws ''. In America, States seeking to protect young students / people online have encountered legal hurdles.

Last Summer Ohio enacted a statute that would require Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to get parents consent before permitting children/students under 16 using their platforms.

But last month, just before the measures was to take effect, a tech industry group called NetChoice -which represents Google, Meta, TikTok and others - filed a lawsuit to block it in free-speech grounds persuading a Federal District Court judge to temporarily halt new rules.

The case is part of a sweeping litigation campaign by NetChoice to block new state laws protecting young people online.

The NetChoice lawsuits have rankled state officials and lawmakers who sought tech company input as they drafted the new measures.

'' I think it's cowardly and disingenuous, '' Jon Husted, the lieutenant governor of Ohio said of the lawsuit, noting that either he or his staff met with Google and Meta about the bill last year and had accommodated the companies' concerns.

The World Students Society thanks Natasha Singer.