Protecting kids from Big Tech requires parents, courts and new legislation
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For years, America treated the internet as the “Wild West” of free speech, assuming that the online world should operate with virtually no guardrails. Thus, our nation operates under two dangerous assumptions about Big Tech: that platforms should be free to publish pretty much anything without accountability, and that tech companies should be allowed to design their platforms however they want because “users can always leave.”
Courts, parents and state legislatures are now rejecting both ideas in real time.
We are faced with the consequences of applying a completely hands-off philosophy to the digital world. As Jonathan Haidt documents in his book “The Anxious Generation,” rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, loneliness and suicide among young people, especially girls, skyrocketed as smartphones and social media became dominant around 2012.
Rates of major depressive episodes in teenage girls nearly doubled over the next decade, while emergency room visits for self-harm also increased. Parents carefully monitor their children’s physical world but not their digital activities.
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Mothers hold photos of their deceased sons during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on February 4, 2026 in Washington, DC. They shared their stories and called for meaningful reform of Section 230 as its 30th anniversary approaches. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
The result, as Haidt describes it, is that children become “overprotected in the real world and underprotected online,” with less independence offline but unrestricted exposure to pornography, sexual predators, comparison, and the like.
But America’s hands-off approach towards Big Tech hasn’t been limited to online content. We also embraced the idea that if consumers don’t like how a product works, they should find another product. Don’t like how a platform works? To leave. Don’t like shadowbanning or manipulative algorithms? Use a different app. But courts and juries across the country are increasingly showing that these assumptions are not absolute.
Earlier this year, a jury in California ordered Meta and YouTube to pay $3 million to a family for harm caused by addictive platforms. A jury in New Mexico also ordered Meta to pay a $375 million fine for misleading and endangering young users. A few days ago, Meta filed a massive lawsuit with a school district in Kentucky over addiction and mental health issues. In my state, Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined the fight against Big Tech, arguing that Meta “must be held accountable for its actions.”
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These legal battles show a clear conclusion: There is no excuse for a free market where private companies can build and sell whatever they want. The internet is not a free-for-all where freedom of expression is the only value and consent is the only requirement.
So what can we actually do to rein in Big Tech and protect the next generation?
We as parents need to take a hard look at what we allow our children to access. In “Tech Breakout,” author Clare Morrell gives examples of the harmful effects of screen time and offers practical advice on how families can try a 30-day digital “fast.”
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Her advice serves as a helpful guide for parents who read “The Anxious Generation” and want to create a better childhood for their children. Things like delaying smartphones until kids are older, taking stronger precautions, and establishing healthier boundaries around technology use can go a long way.
While the primary responsibility for managing childhood falls on families, state and federal governments also have a role to play. It’s not the responsibility of individual families to ensure that billion-dollar tech companies comply with the law; This is where the government comes into play.
But America’s hands-off approach towards Big Tech hasn’t been limited to online content. We also embraced the idea that if consumers don’t like how a product works, they should find another product.
Lawmakers need to advance safeguards like the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA). The idea is simple: Tech companies shouldn’t enter into legal agreements directly with children.
The legislation would require app stores to verify age, ensure companies contract with parents rather than minors, and require honest age ratings so families truly know what kids are downloading. It would also strengthen enforcement of COPPA, the federal law that bans companies from collecting personal data from children under 13 without parental consent and is already supported by more than 170 pro-family organizations across the country.
Congress also needs to pass legislation like the Children’s Online Safety Act (KOSA), sponsored by Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn and South Dakota Majority Leader John Thune. The legislation would take a huge step forward in protecting young eyes online through a few key measures.
Forced default settings will automatically enable security protections rather than requiring parents to find and turn them on themselves. The legislation would also include anti-addiction measures that would allow parents to turn off manipulative design features and algorithms.
Additionally, KOSA will provide a more streamlined process for identifying and reporting harmful content. After all, sexualized chatbots also need to be included in these important discussions.
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Such protections must be considered in the new digital age, but we must not forget a centuries-old aphorism: “The government closest to the people provides the best service to the people.”
Congress was poised to misunderstand this concept during the recent AI fight, when a moratorium on state action was considered. Fortunately, the moratorium was rejected and states can still take action.
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As discussions on legislative action continue, Congress should avoid attempts by Big Tech to include similar moratoriums. The federal government can take decisive action while allowing state legislatures to enact customized policies for their states.
Taking steps like this is the best way to protect our children from the predatory actions of Big Tech and ensure parents have a childhood filled with the real-world connection that children deserve.
