Learn about existing laws, as well as the latest lawsuits and legislation being brought against social media companies.
Understand the history of legal action against internet companies. Get up to speed on legislation and lawsuits currently on the table.
COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, enacted by Congress.
Enacted in 2004, COPPA gives parents control over what information websites can collect from their kids aged 13 and younger. While this landmark regulation has been in place for over 20 years, many believe it falls short given the technology we see today.
An updated version of this legislation (COPPA 2.0) was proposed in 2023. It seeks to enhance COPPA of 1998 to bolster protections for online collection, use, and disclosure of personal information for children and minors up to age 16.
COPPA 2.0: View the proposed bill
Read More about The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
Hundreds of school districts and private individuals are suing social media companies on the basis of the companies’ harm to mental health.
In an effort to streamline the litigation process and promote efficiency, most of these lawsuits have been compiled into a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. This legal process allows similar civil cases filed in multiple federal district courts to be consolidated and transferred to a single district court for pretrial proceedings.
Attorneys General across the United States file suit against Meta, parent company of Instagram and Facebook, for alleged harm to young users.
The lawsuit, filed by 42 AGs nationwide, argues that Meta exploited young users with addictive features like infinite scrolling and notification, and allowed children under 13 to use Instagram, despite being aware of potential harm to kids' mental health. The lawsuit also claims that Meta misled the public about the harm caused and failed to implement effective safety measures.
Many lawmakers feel COPPA doesn’t go far enough. They have introduced additional legislation to further limit tech companies and protect kids.
KOSA, the Kids Online Safety Act, was proposed in 2023. It’s a far-reaching law with sprawling measures requiring tech companies to take steps to prevent harms to children and to step up their privacy and safety settings.
KOSA: View the proposed bill
While both KOSA and COPPA 2.0 have strong, bi-partison support, other lawmakers are taking advantage of the momentum to put forward their own alternative solutions, making for a crowded field. Here are some of the higher-visibility proposed bills currently in front of lawmakers.
