Jennifer Huddleston
Jennifer Huddleston
October has seen a number of bad headlines about the popular social media app TikTok. First, 13 states and the District of Columbia alleged that the platform harmed kids and “addicted” them to the app. Then, a Kentucky Public Radio report published documents that the company knew about the potentially negative impact and behavior of the app’s minor users, prompting senators to call for production of the documents in question. These latest claims follow an earlier FTC-led investigation for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). All this arrives at a time when the company and its users attempt to rally against a law that would see TikTok face the choice of being sold or banned in the United States.
It seems both policymakers and the public are often combining the wide array of concerns about the popular app. The problem with this line of thinking is that the policy solutions and principles that apply in each case — as well as the underlying questions — are different. As a result, it is important that if there are legitimate policy issues to address, they should be targeted to respond to the concerns lest they cause more damage to other important values such as free speech, innovation, or privacy.
This last week, many of the concerns expressed by the media and policymakers are about the impact the app may have on young people. Such a conversation exists in a broader context around youth online safety. Before these concerns were expressed about TikTok, they were levied at other social media apps popular with young people at the time, including Instagram and even MySpace. As a result, policymakers are quick to respond to new allegations and use them as an opportunity to promote legislation that raises significant privacy and speech concerns. » Read More
https://www.cato.org/blog/how-latest-tiktok-headlines-relate-ongoing-tech-policy-debates