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Senate Commerce hearing spotlights bipartisan push to curb youth social media use and tighten AI safeguards
Summary
Senators of both parties pressed for stronger federal limits on children's access to social media and AI chatbots during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing featuring four experts who recommended higher age thresholds, bell‑to‑bell school bans and design‑based safeguards. Lawmakers debated COSMO, COPPA 2, E‑Rate and other proposals and set deadlines for follow‑up questions.
Chairman Cruz convened the Senate Commerce Committee hearing by telling lawmakers, "It's incredibly hard to be a kid right now," and framing the hearing as part of ongoing efforts to protect children from the harms of excessive screen time, algorithmic feeds and exploitative AI products.
Witnesses Jean Twenge, Jared Cooney Horvath, Emily Chirkin and Jenny Radesky testified about studies, mechanisms and policy options that they said could reduce harms to youth. Twenge argued the rise of smartphones and social media since about 2012 coincided with sharp increases in adolescent depression and suicide and urged raising the…
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