Social Media has always been a major part of day-to-day activities ever since the likes of Facebook blew up in 2009 onwards. In recent years, clamor asking for heightened Social Media regulations has increased, in line with our growing reliance on the service that has and continues to conflict with a growing number of areas and interests. This isn’t to say that Social Media is getting bad, but that it has begun to bypass certain laws, which could prove disastrous if left unchecked. On that note, let’s take a look at what regulations are in-store for 2023.
Big Notice
Days after Congress passed a bipartisan bill banning TikTok from government devices, advocates and legislators are also looking to further regulate Social Media companies following the New Year. The main target is TikTok, whom the top regulatory heads have deemed ‘highly intrusive’, with US Representative Mike Gallagher telling The NBC that TikTok’s ban should be expanded nationally.
If you remember Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, she said just this Sunday that big social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which make use of similar algorithms, should be pushed for more transparency about how they operate. Haugen goes on to further say how far behind she thinks the US is when it comes to Social Media regulation.
“This is like we’re back in 1965, we don’t have seatbelt laws yet.”
Congress failed to pass many of the most aggressive bills targeting tech in 2022, including an antitrust legislation that would require app stores developed by Apple and Google to give developers additional payment options, as well as a new measure mandating new guardrails to protect kids online. Congress, however, did make a bit of extra headway this year toward a compromise bill on national privacy standards, but it mainly remains as a patchwork of state laws that determines how consumer data is safeguarded.
Senator Amy Klobuchar said that bipartisan support exists for many of these bills, and many have made it onto the Senate for assessment. However, she also states that the tech lobby is so powerful that even bills with strong bipartisan support can fall apart “within 24 hours.”. Same with Haugen on Sunday, Klobuchar said that things will only start changing when Americans decide that they’ve had enough, much to the benefit of Social Media companies.
“We are lagging behind. It is time for 2023, let it be our resolution, that we finally pass one of these bills.”
The Wrap
Outside of the tightly-kept doors of the legislative department, there are but a few known Social Media regulations, however, it can be said that countless other bills are simply waiting for approval and passing. Social Media is a largely unregulated space, meaning that there are a fair bit of things that teeter on the line between allowed and completely illegal. Behaviors and changing and more people are gradually voicing out what they want and don’t want to experience when online. Hopefully, this year does serve as more of an eye-opener for the masses, helping the government decide which laws to prioritize to help make Social Media a bit of a safer and more secure place.
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