Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media applauds President Biden’s call for Congress to pass bipartisan tech reforms

In response to tonight’s State of the Union address, during which President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass bipartisan social media reforms to protect children online and address privacy and data concerns, Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media issued the following statement from former Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Reid Ribble (R-WI):

“Just as tobacco companies designed and marketed addictive products while seeking to suppress and hide their dangerous effects on people’s health, today’s social media companies are creating products that exploit people’s anxieties, magnify the most extreme content to keep us online and angry, and undermine the fabric of our society,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL). “After a string of bipartisan victories during the last two years – from infrastructure investments and gun safety measures to microchip manufacturing and expanded veterans’ benefits – common-sense social media reforms that promote better practices and reduce harms should be a top priority for this Congress.”

Added Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI): “The president rightly used tonight’s State of the Union address to call on Congress to work together and advance meaningful, bipartisan reforms that will hold the tech companies to higher standards. For far too long, these platforms have operated with little to no oversight, and the results have been harmful to our kids, our communities, and our national security. By failing to act, our leaders have allowed these companies to put profit over the health and well-being of our country. Enough is enough. It’s time for Republicans and Democrats to find common ground and build a healthier democracy for our digital age.”

Learn more about the Council for Responsible Social Media.