Students from East Las Vegas urge lawmakers to act on youth online safety during public comment

During the committee’s public‑comment period, four students from Akipo Academy and East Las Vegas described firsthand harms they attribute to social media and urged support for youth online safety legislation (SB63), which the Attorney General’s Office said was removed from today’s agenda to allow further work.

Attorney General Aaron Ford introduced the students and said the Youth Online Safety Act is important and would be advanced after additional stakeholder work; he asked the committee to hear the students’ remarks into the record. Students described how social platforms facilitate drug and weapon access, enable school‑specific pages that amplify bullying and fights, and circulate videos that they said escalate conflict and cause shame and depression among peers. One student said: “Many teens my age have lost their lives due to conflicts that originated on social media.” Another described sellers using Instagram and Telegram to advertise drugs and arrange delivery, saying platforms “prioritize their own interest and profits over the well‑being of their users.”

Ben Salkowe, founding principal of Akipo Academy, and teacher representatives described rapid student mobilization to testify and urged legislators to consider stronger reporting and removal processes on platforms, and measures to limit commercial exploitation of youth. Attorney General Ford said the office had removed SB63 from the day’s agenda to continue working on language that would better protect youth online.

Committee members and the sponsor thanked the students for traveling and testifying; Sen. Flores publicly praised the students for civic engagement and invited them to remain involved in the legislative process. The committee did not take action on SB63 during the meeting because it had been temporarily withdrawn from the agenda.