Will Congress Seize an Opportunity to Protect Children?

Will 2022 be a “do or die” moment for Congress to pass Big Tech legislation before the midterm elections? The prospects for Congress’s doing anything in the next few years on Big Tech look dim. Divisions within and between the parties on such matters as antitrust and Section 230 seem at the moment to be prevailing over whatever common ground is forming in those areas. With congressional action looking highly unlikely in either area, will Congress pass any legislation at all to counter Big Tech and its harms this coming year?

One cause for optimism is the growing possibility of amending the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In light of growing bipartisan agreement on how social-media platforms are harming our children, a legislative path forward in 2022 would be for Congress to amend this act.