State Sen. Sue Rezin brings together national social media experts to testify

Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, for Illinois’ 38th Senate District brought together some of the nation’s leading social media experts to testify before the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee in support of her efforts to pass legislation to protect minors from potentially harmful algorithms designed to get them addicted to social media.

The hearing focused on Rezin’s Senate Bill 1126, which highlights why Illinois should act on this issue with urgency. The bill would regulate data management practices of online or social media companies that minors are reasonably likely to access.

“There are far too many children within our state and nation who have horrific stories about their time and experiences on social media platforms,” Rezin said. “These children do not fully comprehend the real-world consequences of their use of social media. Meanwhile, we know from various different sources that these social media giants know about the harm they may be inflicting and, instead of preventing it from occurring, it appears to be a cornerstone of their business model.”

Camille Carlton, senior policy manager for the Center for Humane Technology, and Robert Weil, director of research, policy and field services and educational issues for the American Federation of Teachers, agreed that regulation is needed to keep children safe from the harms of social media.

“The Center for Humane Technology supports the age-appropriate design code proposed in this legislation because they properly balance necessary guardrails with product innovation,” Carlton said. “The bill focuses solely on the design of products, the aspects that companies themselves control, such as algorithmic design, and personal data collection.”

Weil said that regulations ensure car manufacturers equip vehicles with seat belts, and social media companies should incorporate similar safety features for what he called “digital seat belts.”

Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, also testified, pointing to research showing that excessive social media use can result in negative effects on mental health, including increased rates of depression, anxiety and loneliness, and that minors are more susceptible to these negative effects because of their limited life experiences and developing brains.

“If you look at what has occurred since 2012, you see a spike in mental health challenges among our young people, and what is very significant about that is that this spike coincides with the advent of social media,” Bergman said. “You could solve 80% of the problems in two weeks by simply turning down the algorithms, making them less addictive and providing some verification so that a person really is who they claim to be.”

Rezin said her legislation would ensure that online and social media companies no longer can prey on children for a profit.

“We have a responsibility and obligation to put in place guardrails that make these platforms safer. Big Tech has skirted regulation for far too long, pouring tens of millions of dollars into stopping it,” said Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of Design It For Us. “Big Tech has repeatedly told the public to ‘trust us’ and failed to heed their promises. Internal documents and conversations have shown that the industry has, time and again – when presented with the opportunity to make their platform safer – chosen profit over privacy and safety.”

Rezin said that she will continue to work with these experts and other stakeholders to make any necessary changes to her legislative proposal.