Alex Ambrose

The Supreme Court upheld Texas’s online age checks, opening the door to fragmented state laws. Congress should create a single national “child flag” system to protect kids and simplify compliance.

AR/VR innovation needs to accelerate in order to meet the critical demands of health care. Policymakers should empower and fund immersive technologies in the health-care industry because of the long-term cost saving benefits and positive impact on patient care.

Instead of legislating AI companions based on a real understanding of the benefits and potential harms of AI companions, states risk over-regulating before the technology can reach its full potential.

A reasonable compromise on federal data privacy should protect and promote innovation by minimizing compliance costs and restrictions on data use, as well as address concrete privacy harms, improve transparency requirements, and strengthen oversight and enforcement.

There is still time to adjust the COPPA Rule to better protect children and empower parents without imposing unnecessary burdens on businesses and users.

Senators reintroduced the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA), which has many flaws, namely that it complicates compliance for platforms that already disallow children below age 13 and limits users’ ability to fully customize their online experience.

Congress needs to step in to prevent a patchwork of state age-verification laws and establish a child-flag system that would better balance adults' access to legal content versus children's access to material intended for mature audiences.

Standards Australia should establish age-based guidelines for the metaverse using existing content ratings; require device operating systems to create an opt-in “trustworthy child flag” system; work with global, government-led groups to build voluntary industry standards with a focus on interoperability; and promote digital literacy campaigns for children to operate in the metaverse safely.

Meta announced on January 7, 2025 that it was ending its third-party fact-checking program on its social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—and moving to a “Community Notes” model, similar to X, in the United States.

The FTC’s September 2024 staff report on the data practices of nine major social media and video streaming companies makes four flawed claims: that platforms surveil users, secretly share data with advertisers, collect data to block competitors, and limit consumer choice due to insufficient competition.

Blocking an entire age group from social media uses a regulatory sledgehammer instead of a scalpel to address complex and evolving online safety issues. It ignores the benefits of social media for young people and the pitfalls of age-verification rules.

Given the uncertainties surrounding the emotional and social impact of AI companions—both positive and negative—policymakers should prioritize funding research on how users interact with chatbots. This approach would ensure that any interventions or improvements are grounded in scientific evidence, rather than rushed regulation.

Watch now for a discussion on the potential benefits and risks of AI companions, what the early research says about this emerging technology, and how policymakers can support responsible innovation.

Watch now for a panel discussion on children's online safety legislation and the roles that parents, corporations, and regulators must play in shaping the future of children’s digital experiences.

Watch now for the fourth annual AR/VR Policy Conference presented by Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and the XR Association.

Watch now for an expert panel discussion exploring the positive potential of technological innovation to transform society for the better by increasing accessibility for all.