Government Doesn’t Need to Protect Us From Social Media Addiction

By Shane Vander Hart - Posted at Caffeinated Thoughts:

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., offered a bill that would ban certain social media features deemed addictive. This is the epitome of big government.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on Tuesday introduced The Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) Act.

The purpose of the legislation is to “curb addictive and deceptive techniques that tech giants use to exploit users.” So it would ban certain features that are, Hawley says, designed to be addictive such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and “achievements” such as “Snapstreak.” Exceptions to the bill would be “music playlists, social media predominantly designed to stream music, and ‘achievement’ badges that substantially increase access to new services or functionality.”

This bill also requires social media to include natural stopping points and have in-app functions to track the time a user spends on social media across devices. The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services would have the authority to ban other features, but those restrictions would sunset after three years unless ratified by Congress.

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See also:

• Three Concerns With Hawley’s Internet Censorship Bill (Caffeinated Thoughts)