If you are a student who loves using social media, you might want to pay attention to some new bills that are being proposed in Congress. These bills aim to protect data and teens’ well-being from the potential risks of social media platforms.

The PIVOT Act, which stands for Protecting the Information of our Vulnerable Children and Youth Act, would require social media companies to get your parents’ permission before they collect, use, or share your personal information. It would also stop them from showing you ads or influencers that are trying to sell you something. In addition, it would make sure that social media platforms are regularly checked to see if they are following the rules.

Another bill is called the CTOPPA, or the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act. It would update an existing law called the COPPA, that covers children under 13, to include ages up to 18. The main addition gives you the right to delete any personal information you have posted online. It would also ban the use of features that track your location, behavior, or face. This includes fun location based features, but most importantly, many camera filters.

The final bill is the Social Media Privacy Protection and Consumer Rights Act. It would give users of all ages more control over their online data and require social media platforms to tell you how they collect, use, and share your information. The bill would also let you opt out of data collection and tracking, and provide you with a copy of your personal data whenever requested.

These bills are not yet laws, but they have been introduced by several lawmakers who are concerned about the negative impacts of social media on the mental health, privacy, and safety of young people. The hope is these bills will help create a safer and healthier online environment for teens.