Maryland youth are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that would protect their privacy online, but it may be a tough sell.House Bill 901\Senate Bill 844 would protect the information of children from being tracked or sold, and it would block their social media feeds from harmful content.Young people from across the state showed up Friday at the State House to turn up the heat on legislators to pass the bills.”We believe that we have the right to be safe online. We believe that we can reclaim our power and what our data is,” said Arielle Geismar, a student. “Young people here today, we are taking our power back. We are saying that we are refusing to allow these tech companies to harvest our data in these ways.””These apps are trying to feed us harmful content and profit off of it, using our data to harm us and making money off it. That is completely ridiculous,” said Samantha Ross, a student. “I think that it is our time to stand up and say, ‘We use this. This is harming us. It is our time to have control over it, and not these big companies that just want to make money.'”The young people spent Friday going from office to office, seeking face-to-face meetings with lawmakers to explain why legislation that appears to be stalled in the Senate needs to move.The students told lawmakers they are being taken advantage of by agreeing to complicated terms. They complained about inappropriate material invading their social media feeds.”I started becoming interested in this sort of situation because I think mental health is very important and a lot of people don’t see it as important,” said Khalia Wilson, a student.Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Melony Griffith, D-District 25, lawmakers are still discussing the pros and cons of the bills.”We don’t want to set in motion unintended consequences, and so we are trying to figure out how to balance the important needs of protecting our children when they are online without exposing them further,” Griffith said.The bills would require tech companies to design products with children’s wellbeing in mind, restrict data collection and profiling of children, turn off geolocation and prohibit the use of nudge techniques that encourage youth to weaken their privacy protections.”You log onto any one of these sites from a Maryland-based computer or Maryland-based internet address, you would automatically get those protections,” said the bill’s sponsor in the House, Montgomery County Delegate Jared Solomon, D-District 18.Solomon said Maryland would become only the second state in the country to put an internet child safety law on the books.”This isn’t about attacking or being punitive. It’s about how do we create an online space that is safe for our young people in a way furthers the really positive benefits of the internet?” Solomon said.Under the current legislation, a business in violation would be subject to stiff fines, and the Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office would be responsible for investigating complaints and enforcement.The House passed its version of the bill and sent it to the Senate. The Senate version remains stuck in committee; however, the panel’s chair believes the measure can be improved before the session ends.
Maryland youth are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that would protect their privacy online, but it may be a tough sell.
House Bill 901\Senate Bill 844 would protect the information of children from being tracked or sold, and it would block their social media feeds from harmful content.
Young people from across the state showed up Friday at the State House to turn up the heat on legislators to pass the bills.
“We believe that we have the right to be safe online. We believe that we can reclaim our power and what our data is,” said Arielle Geismar, a student. “Young people here today, we are taking our power back. We are saying that we are refusing to allow these tech companies to harvest our data in these ways.”
“These apps are trying to feed us harmful content and profit off of it, using our data to harm us and making money off it. That is completely ridiculous,” said Samantha Ross, a student. “I think that it is our time to stand up and say, ‘We use this. This is harming us. It is our time to have control over it, and not these big companies that just want to make money.'”
The young people spent Friday going from office to office, seeking face-to-face meetings with lawmakers to explain why legislation that appears to be stalled in the Senate needs to move.
The students told lawmakers they are being taken advantage of by agreeing to complicated terms. They complained about inappropriate material invading their social media feeds.
“I started becoming interested in this sort of situation because I think mental health is very important and a lot of people don’t see it as important,” said Khalia Wilson, a student.
Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Melony Griffith, D-District 25, lawmakers are still discussing the pros and cons of the bills.
“We don’t want to set in motion unintended consequences, and so we are trying to figure out how to balance the important needs of protecting our children when they are online without exposing them further,” Griffith said.
The bills would require tech companies to design products with children’s wellbeing in mind, restrict data collection and profiling of children, turn off geolocation and prohibit the use of nudge techniques that encourage youth to weaken their privacy protections.
“You log onto any one of these sites from a Maryland-based computer or Maryland-based internet address, you would automatically get those protections,” said the bill’s sponsor in the House, Montgomery County Delegate Jared Solomon, D-District 18.
Solomon said Maryland would become only the second state in the country to put an internet child safety law on the books.
“This isn’t about attacking or being punitive. It’s about how do we create an online space that is safe for our young people in a way furthers the really positive benefits of the internet?” Solomon said.
Under the current legislation, a business in violation would be subject to stiff fines, and the Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office would be responsible for investigating complaints and enforcement.
The House passed its version of the bill and sent it to the Senate. The Senate version remains stuck in committee; however, the panel’s chair believes the measure can be improved before the session ends.
