Publications: Ash Johnson

There is still time to adjust the COPPA Rule to better protect children and empower parents without imposing unnecessary burdens on businesses and users.

Senators reintroduced the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA), which has many flaws, namely that it complicates compliance for platforms that already disallow children below age 13 and limits users’ ability to fully customize their online experience.

As part of the ongoing backlash against “Big Tech,” policymakers from both sides of the aisle and various stakeholders have raised a host of issues with social media ranging from potential harm to children to the alleged death of democracy.

Meta announced on January 7, 2025 that it was ending its third-party fact-checking program on its social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—and moving to a “Community Notes” model, similar to X, in the United States.

Blocking an entire age group from social media uses a regulatory sledgehammer instead of a scalpel to address complex and evolving online safety issues. It ignores the benefits of social media for young people and the pitfalls of age-verification rules.

The conservative "techlash" targets Big Tech for suppressing conservative values. Some now support government intervention, which contradicts traditional conservative principles of limited government. A better approach would be light-touch regulation, focusing on transparency and parental control, while preserving innovation and free markets.

Europe needs to pump the brakes on new regulations before it can properly assess the long-term effects of the GDPR, DSA, DMA, and AI Act.

Some conservatives have grievances with “Big Tech” companies and would marshal the power of government to punish them. But the policy proposals stemming from this conservative “techlash” would have significant costs for consumers, businesses, and the economy.

While increasing children’s online safety and privacy are important goals, it is important not to infringe on others’ rights, or children’s own rights, in the process.

Digital IDs are a more convenient, secure, and versatile option than physical IDs, but few Americans currently have one. With the right investments and collaboration between federal and state governments, Americans could realize the full potential of digital IDs.