Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) has called for stricter age verification measures on social media platforms to protect children from exposure to sexual abuse material. During a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing titled "Ending the Scourge: The Need for the STOP CSAM Act," Britt emphasized the importance of enforcing age checks on these platforms.

The STOP CSAM Act aims to combat child sexual abuse material online by allowing victims to sue companies that host such content. At the hearing, John Pizzuro, CEO of Raven, an advocacy group against child exploitation, shared his insights with the committee.

Senator Britt highlighted the need for social media platforms to verify user ages rather than relying on self-reported information. She pointed out that while many platforms have a minimum age requirement of 13, they often do not enforce it. Recent data shows that nearly 40% of children aged 8 to 12 use social media, with an estimated 500,000 predators exploiting these platforms.

Britt referenced her previous legislative efforts with the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, which mandates rigorous age verification using current technology. During her questioning of Pizzuro, she asked about potential solutions for Congress in addressing this issue.

Pizzuro suggested device-based verification as a practical approach since phones can determine a user's age. He noted that implementing such measures would aid parents in protecting their children from inappropriate content.

Senator Britt agreed and stated, "So what you’re telling me is we have all of the information we already need to help protect our children." She stressed that tech companies possess the necessary data but are reluctant to act.

As part of her ongoing efforts, Senator Britt recently introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act. This legislation proposes setting a minimum age of 13 for social media use and restricts algorithmically-targeted content for users under 17. The bill has passed through the Senate Commerce Committee and awaits full Senate consideration.