- Google argues that tech companies should be required to “prioritize the best interests of children and teens in the design of their products.”
- •Google says, “More data-intrusive methods requiring verification with government IDs should be limited to high-risk services like alcohol, gambling, or pornography.
Google has challenged proposed laws that would require online services to verify their users’ age before granting them access to their platforms.
In a framework, the tech giant argues that such policies may result in trade-offs or restrict adult users ‘access to important information and services.
Google’s framework titled “Legislative Framework to Protect Children and Teens Online”, is a response to congressional child online safety proposals and it formulates how technology companies should approach children’s safety online.
Google argues that instead of implementing legislation that would require online services to verify ages, these companies should be required to “prioritize the best interests of children and teens in the design of their products.”
“Online services used by children and teens should be required to assess the collective interests of children within comparable developmental stages, based on expert research and best practices, to ensure that they are developing, designing and offering age-appropriate products and services geared to the best interests of children and teens,” Google stated.
“Good legislative models, like those based on age-appropriate design principles, can help hold companies responsible for promoting safety and privacy, while enabling access to richer experiences for children and teens,” Google added.
In August, following a petition to ban TikTok in Kenya and several complains from a section of Kenyans on the platform's presence of explicit content, president William Ruto held a virtual meeting with the platform’s Chief executive Shou Zi Chew.
It was agreed that TikTok would work with the government of Kenya in reviewing and monitoring its content.
"This new development means that inappropriate or offensive content will be expunged from the platform," Ruto said.
In March, the US state of Utah passed a law that aims to start requiring social media companies to verify the age of a user seeking to maintain or open an account.
In October, the US state sued TikTok on the grounds that the social media platform is harming children by intentionally making them spend unhealthy amounts of time on it.
Google proposes online services should not prioritize age verification but prioritize children and teens in the design of their products.
In the framework, Google said even as policymakers contemplate these issues, they should carefully consider the broader impacts of these bills and avoid side effects like blocking access to critical services, requiring people (including adults) to submit unnecessary identification or sensitive personal information, or treating an older teen the same as a younger child.
Google says, “More data-intrusive methods (such as verification with “hard identifiers” like government IDs) should be limited to high-risk services (e.g., alcohol, gambling, or pornography) or age correction.”
Additionally, Google says tech companies should ban personalized advertising for children and teens.
“For those under 18, legislation should ban personalized advertising, including personalization based on a user’s age, gender, or interests,” Google said.
“Industry standards should encourage services to develop advertising policies that consider the developmental stages of children and teens and restrict ads that may not be suitable for younger audiences,” Google added.