United States of America: Published Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force recommendations and best practices for safe internet use

On 22 July 2024, the Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force, led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), released a report outlining recommendations and best practices to ensure safer internet use for children and youth. The initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to addressing the ongoing youth mental health crisis. The report underscores the need to protect young people's mental health, safety, and privacy online. In particular, the report outlines recommendations for families, recommending resources developed in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics. These include strategies, handouts, and conversation starters designed to help parents engage their children in discussions about online safety and technology use. For the industry, the report outlines ten best practices for online service providers. These include designing age-appropriate experiences, implementing default privacy protections for youth, reducing features that encourage excessive use, and deploying mechanisms to counter child exploitation and abuse. To ensure the implementation of these recommendations, the report suggests future steps such as enacting bipartisan federal legislation, encouraging industry action, supporting research into youth privacy and safety, and promoting international collaboration on online safety efforts. Finally, the report outlines the importance of involving youth in the creation of solutions and providing updated resources for parents, health providers, educators, and online platforms.