One of the few areas where bipartisan consensus can be found in U.S. politics regards the need to rein in social media, particularly when it comes to underage users. Hence the bill unveiled yesterday by Democratic Senators Brian Schatz (Hawaii) and Chris Murphy (Conn.), and Republican Senators Tom Cotton (Ark.) and Katie Britt (Ala.), titled the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act.
The bill would make it illegal for kids under the age of 13 to use social media, and mandate parental consent if those ages 13 to 17 want to set up an account. Social media firms already tend to have a nominal age limit of 13, but this bill would force them to actually institute age-verification measures “based on the latest technology."
