Texans overwhelmingly support stronger parental controls over their children’s online activity, a new poll conducted by WPA Intelligence for the Texas Public Policy Foundation has found. The company surveyed 852 registered voters statewide from April 13 to 17. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5%.
According to the survey results, 79% of everyone polled and 84% of parents polled said tech companies don’t have enough online protections for children.
Strong majorities also weighed in on parental controls for social media use and data collection.
Nearly all surveyed, 91% of respondents and 96% of parents, said parents must approve all social media accounts created by their children; 93% of all respondents and 97% of parents said parents should be able to control privacy settings, including location data. And 92% of all respondents and 97% of parents surveyed said parents should be able to approve data collection, see what data is collected about their children, and have the ability to delete the data.
A strong majority, 91% of all surveyed and 94% of parents said they should be given full transparency about how the data collected on their children is used in marketing.
Increasing stronger parental controls of children’s online activity is a legislative priority of House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who highlighted a bill the legislature must pass: HB 18. The Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act, the SCOPE Act, filed by Rep. Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville, passed out of committee and has been sent to the Calendars Committee, which schedules votes for the floor.
Slawson points to two key problems associated with minors using social media, negative mental and social consequences and privacy violations.
“Mounting evidence draws a strong connection between uninhibited access to social media platforms and online content and the harmful consequences of such access,” including “an epidemic of self-harm, suicide, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking among minors,” she said in a bill analysis.
At the same time, social media platforms “are collecting and processing vast amounts of data from minors” that “raises privacy concerns and feeds algorithms that fuel online addiction,” she continued. “Advertising is increasingly of concern due to its sophistication built on data taken from children and its subtle manipulation. Parents are increasingly powerless to protect their children in the face of these sophisticated companies and the technologies they create.”
HB 18 amends the Business & Commerce Code to implement requirements and prohibitions for digital service providers. It doesn’t apply to state agencies, political subdivisions, financial institutions, small businesses or higher education institutions.
It prohibits DSPs from entering into an agreement with a known minor without the consent of his or her parents or guardians. It also requires DSPs to give parents or guardians the ability to permanently enable certain settings. It also requires certain disclosures about advertising to provide insight into how algorithms are used to target minors, according to the bill summary.
The bill also requires DSPs to exercise reasonable care to ensure that a known minor isn’t exposed to any types of harm when using their digital service. Types of harm include self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, bullying and harassment. They also include sexual exploitation, including enticement, grooming, trafficking, abuse, and child pornography; advertisements for products or services that are unlawful for a minor, including illegal drugs, tobacco, gambling, pornography, and alcohol; and predatory, unfair, or deceptive marketing practices.
The bill also clarifies that violations of its provisions constitute a false, misleading, or deceptive act or practice as defined by the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.
The bill is expected to pass.
