CCIA: States Filed 150 Bills on Kids' Online Safety in 2023

Expect state legislative focus on children’s online safety to continue in 2024, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) said Friday. State legislators introduced about 150 bills in more than 35 states dealing with children’s online safety in 2023, a CCIA report said. Prohibiting addictive algorithms and requiring age-appropriate design, age verification or parental consent were some of the items covered, the report said. The internet industry group raised concerns that states’ proposed laws conflict with the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires users to verify their own age and doesn’t hold websites liable if the user gives incorrect information. Bills requiring age verification and parental consent for accessing certain websites also could create privacy and security concerns because companies would have to collect government IDs, credit cards or other personal information to comply, said CCIA State Policy Director Khara Boender. “And younger users could be barred from accessing information and communities of support.”