Op Ed Guest Columnist: Leaders in Columbia Shouldn’t Let Bad Actors Pass the Buck to Others; Protect Our Children from Inappropriate Online Content

Written by: Tracy Robins, Richland County
April 1, 2025

Throughout 2024, numerous reports exposed the secretive tactics used by social media giants like Facebook and TikTok to profit from children. This includes shady data collection practices, targeted advertising to minors, and algorithms designed to serve dangerous and addictive content to children. These reports have sparked an outcry among parents, including families here in South Carolina, for our elected officials to do something to stop bad actors from exploiting children and teenagers online.

In response to these growing concerns, lawmakers around the country have fought to rein in dangerous social media companies. This includes Governor McMaster’s decision to ban TikTok on state government devices. Additionally, Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined dozens of state attorneys general to sue Facebook for intentionally harming its young users. In the past, TikTok and Facebook have fought fiercely against regulations and lawsuits like these. However, it’s become impossible for social media companies to deny the harmful effects of their platforms.

Now, in the face of mounting pressure, Facebook has changed its tune, and the company claims it wants elected officials to pass social media regulations, but as always, the devil is in the details.

Facebook’s plan is to get lawmakers to regulate other companies so that social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook aren’t held responsible for intentionally designing addictive and harmful apps. Of course, there are some serious issues with Facebook’s plans. The Supreme Court has already overturned similar proposals, meaning taxpayer dollars will be spent defending Facebook-backed legislation instead of protecting our children. What’s worse is that the regulations Facebook supports wouldn’t even work. They include loopholes that would allow children to continue to access their platforms and would even force other businesses to hand private data over to social media companies, making it easier for bad actors like Facebook and TikTok to profit off their users’ sensitive information.

Facebook’s proposal has earned the support of other companies with a track record of unsavory business practices who have realized they could benefit by passing off the responsibility for their own problems. Match Group, for example, which owns many of the largest data apps on the market like Hinge and Tinder, has thrown its support behind the measure. Match, of course, sees the bill as a ticket to make someone else accountable for keeping underage users off of its apps, an issue the company has failed to address for years.

Pornography websites have even realized that these kinds of bills could benefit them. Companies that produce and promote explicit content have indicated their support for similar so-called “device filter” legislation that includes loopholes that would allow them to show inappropriate content to underage children and teens on their laptops, desktops, and some other devices without facing any accountability. 

However, lawmakers should not listen to social media giants, dating apps, or pornography companies about which online regulations will best protect young South Carolinians. Instead, they should listen to the parents of children who are affected by dangerous content online. New polling shows that 87% of parents support regulations to safeguard children’s mental health and shield them from inappropriate content online. The same study found that 93% of parents want content providers, including social media companies, video game makers, and pornography websites, to play a role in protecting kids from dangerous content on the internet.

In other words, parents know that the best way to keep children safe online is to hold actors accountable, and they’re right. Companies like Facebook have responded to recent pressure from lawmakers to make the apps they own safer. In fact, the company recently adopted technology to verify users’ ages and keep children away from Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. In Columbia, state legislators should do the same and put pressure on Facebook and other bad actors to take similar actions that would keep young users off of their dangerous apps.

The fact is that dangerous apps are harmful to our children, and for far too long, these bad actors have avoided accountability for their actions. Lawmakers shouldn’t let them avoid responsibility again by falling for a transparent effort to put the onus on others.

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About the Author:

Tracy Robins lives in Columbia and is a retired public-school teacher. She currently serves as the Richland County Republican Party’s Election Committee Chairwoman.

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