Support from Ramaswamy for Restrictive Social Media Regulations to Safeguard Teenagers

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy garnered attention during a recent debate when he expressed support for controversial proposals aimed at restricting the use of social media platforms by teenagers under the age of 16. Ramaswamy emphasized that this is not a partisan issue, stating that “if you’re 16 years old or under, you should not be using an addictive social media product, period.”

As a conservative entrepreneur, Ramaswamy believes that implementing such restrictions could address both the mental health crisis in the nation and combat the fentanyl epidemic. While concerns about the safety of children online have gained bipartisan support, suggestions like Ramaswamy’s have not been widely embraced by both sides of the political spectrum.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), an outspoken critic of social media companies, previously introduced a bill that would ban children under 16 from using social media. On the other hand, less extreme age restriction bills have received bipartisan backing. For instance, a bill introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) requires parental consent for teens to use social media.

Despite the bipartisan support for such legislation, opponents argue that these proposals could have negative consequences for vulnerable minors, including LGBTQ youth, by limiting their internet access. However, there has been bipartisan agreement on other proposals aimed at enhancing online safety for children. Two important bills, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act 2.0 (COPPA) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), received bipartisan support and advanced in the Senate Commerce Committee in July.

COPPA 2.0 would update privacy rules for minors and prohibit targeted advertising, while KOSA would impose a duty on social media platforms to prevent and mitigate harm to minors. These bills also made progress in the Senate during the previous congressional session but were not brought to a vote before the end of the session.