Senate committee hears testimony on S.69 to set default online protections for minors

Montpelier — The Vermont Senate Committee on Institutions heard testimony Feb. 19 on S.69, legislation that would require online platforms to adopt age‑appropriate design and privacy protections for minors.

Supporters told the committee the bill would protect children by setting privacy and safety defaults rather than relying on parents to change multiple app settings. "Technology can certainly provide benefits to young people, but the current business incentives and design practices of some tech companies...are leading them to cause vast harm to children and adolescents," researcher Ravi Iyer said during the hearing. He added that design changes can reduce harms such as bullying, exposure to explicit content and unwanted contact.

The bill’s sponsors and witnesses said S.69 would impose a minimum duty of care on covered businesses when they collect minors’ personal information or design features that affect minors’ experiences online. Marissa Shea, a consultant for Reset Tech, described the legislation as consumer protection: "At its core, this bill is simple consumer protection," she said, and noted it would require default…