Statement on President Biden's State of the Union Address to Protect Kids' Privacy, Safety, and Mental Health Online
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7, 2023— Today, Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, issued the following statement in response to President Biden's State of the Union address where he called on Congress to protect kids from online harms and to expand the child tax credit.
On Protecting Kids from Big Tech and Online Harms: "President Biden made a clear and convincing appeal tonight for Congress to protect kids and teenagers from the serious harms caused by social media and other tech platforms. The president is right that social media and Big Tech play an important role in driving today's devastating youth mental health crisis. We have seen strong bipartisan interest in addressing online harms to kids and teens and I encourage Congress to finally deliver the legislative action that America's families are expecting for their kids. The president's bold tech agenda would put much-needed guardrails in place that will institute stronger online protections for young people, strengthen children's privacy and ban targeted advertising for children online. He again made it clear that he expects Congress to put the interests and wellbeing of kids and families before those of the tech industry – period, full stop. Now is the time to make kids' well-being a national priority."
On Expanding the Child Tax Credit to Lift Kids out of Poverty: "President Biden is absolutely right that it is time to, once again, expand the Child Tax Credit to raise family incomes and lift kids out of poverty. When the child tax credit was expanded in 2021 for one year, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, nearly 1 million children were lifted out of poverty, food scarcity went down, and the overall stress on families was reduced. But that was a temporary reprieve from the scourge of child poverty. As a national organization that is committed to the well-being of all children, Common Sense Media will support the expansion of the child tax credit in every way that we can to protect kids and help families thrive."
###
About Common Sense
Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Learn more at commonsense.org.
Media Contacts
Lorena Taboas
[email protected]
(786) 521-4215
Lisa Cohen
[email protected]
(310) 395-2544