A bipartisan group of senators asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to form a new federal regulatory agency to oversee Big Tech companies like Meta and Google.
Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) sent a letter to Schumer on Tuesday calling on him to take action on Big Tech companies. They specifically called for a new independent federal agency that would oversee the firms.
Lawmakers are increasing pressure to hold Big Tech companies accountable for the impact that they’re having on youth users.
“Over the past fifteen years, social media platforms have wreaked havoc on our children’s mental health, undermined user privacy, and distorted market incentives,” the senators wrote. “Big Tech companies have provided new vehicles for drug trafficking, harassment, and the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. We believe this moment requires a new federal agency to protect consumers, promote competition, and defend the public interest.”
Bennet and Welch introduced the Digital Platform Commission Act in 2022, which called for an agency to regulate digital platforms. Warren and Graham introduced a similar bill in 2023 that would create a different agency to oversee online platforms, encourage competition, and protect consumers.
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Schumer, meanwhile, has been focused in recent months on working toward comprehensive artificial intelligence-related legislation. He organized AI Insight Forums, a series of sessions in the fall of 2023 for which he brought experts in from across the AI industry to speak on how to address matters like election integrity and jobs.
State and federal lawmakers increased pressure on companies such as Meta, TikTok, and YouTube in 2023 as parents began to report problems with teenage mental health. The CEOs of Meta, X, TikTok, Snap, and Discord are scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 31 to address the impact of their apps on youth mental health.
