United States of America
5Rights’ work has sparked and inspired a wave of initiatives across the US for the online privacy and safety of American young people.
Overview
American companies created the internet as children know it today, and the US still hosts many of the world’s most innovative and powerful tech companies. Strengthening US regulation and working with the country’s dynamic industry ecosystem are critical to driving change for children everywhere. Across the US, more and more policy makers, regulators, children, experts and advocates are recognising the critical need for privacy and safety by design and default for children, with laws inspired by and reflecting the standards of the Age Appropriate Design Code backed by large multi-stakeholder coalitions and passing with overwhelming support.
“It is easy to feel powerless when you find out that companies like Google are using our data to sell them to third parties”
Jack, 14
Children’s experiences
The 75 million children and teens in the US are world leaders in tech consumption and ahead of the curve in experiencing its impact. An overwhelming majority of teenagers in the US report checking messages or notifications as soon as they appear, and many feel anxious when they don’t have their phones. Nearly half of US teens have been bullied or harassed online and suicide rates have continued to increase. Recently, teen girls have also had to confront a surge of deepfake nudes in schools while young boys are more and more affected by sextortions schemes.
Our work in the US
Working with a wide multi-stakeholder coalition, 5Rights is leading the charge to make the digital world safer for children in the US, raising awareness of children’s rights and international best practice. In 2022, we sponsored California’s groundbreaking Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC), which passed with unanimous support. This landmark bill has already inspired similar bills in several other states, including the Maryland Kids Code.
In focus
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US elections: bipartisan support for youth online privacy and safety must continue
As the US prepares to enter a new legislative term, 5Rights calls for continued bipartisan support to advance children’s and teens’ privacy and safety online.
TikTok knows it is harming children
Internal TikTok documents reveal the company is promoting addictive design and targeting children, in full consciousness of the harms of its product
Supporting families globally: our work with The Parents’ Network
5Rights is partnering with Archewell’s Parents’ Network to work with families of children severely impacted by online harms to call for online spaces to be designed with the needs and rights of children in mind.
Court Upholds Key Provisions of California’s Age Appropriate Design Code
A US federal court ruling affirms that requiring tech to be safe and private by design and default for kids is appropriate, opening the way for Age Appropriate Design Codes across the country.