Sammy's Law would require social media apps to allow access from third-party software that lets parents check children's online profiles and direct messages for signs of cyberbullying, illicit drug use and other online harms.
We've become used to data from our online activities getting collected, packaged and reused. But the reality is that for parents, getting access to their kids’ data, to look out for online harms, can be quite challenging.
There are monitoring apps out there, but they can't see everything because of the walled-off nature of social media and messaging apps. In Congress, there's a bipartisan push to change that with a bill called Sammy's Law, named after a teen who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2021. He purchased drugs on social media.
Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Will Oremus, tech news analysis writer at The Washington Post, who’s been monitoring the bill's progress.
“‘Sammy’s Law’ would help parents monitor kids online. It’s gaining steam.” from The Washington Post
“Blackburn presses for kids online safety bill” from The Hill
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