(The Lion) — Federal age restrictions for social media apps can assist parents in protecting their children from technology’s harms, according to one congresswoman fighting for such protections.
Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Indiana, is co-sponsoring a bill with Jake Auchincloss, D-Massachusetts, to set a minimum age of 16 to access apps such as Instagram.
“Parents are overwhelmed with the amount of apps that are out there and the number of different iterations of parental protections and parental controls,” Houchin told The Lion last week. “So, we’re trying to streamline that at the federal level and make sure that 16 is the standard, not under 16.”
The Parents over Platforms Act is bipartisan legislation that “puts parents back in charge,” she said.
Social media harm to youth is “the issue of our time,” Houchin said, and worthy of bipartisan support.
She shared her personal experience with her own daughter, who was able to bypass parental controls to create an Instagram account at 13. Overwhelming evidence has shown that social media use is dangerous for young teens, Houchin said, which is why the bill limits social media use to 16 and up.
“Just like you can’t drive a car before you’re 16, you can’t have social media before you’re 16. It’s just too dangerous a platform,” she said. “We know that it’s dangerous for kids under that age. We’ve seen it.”
Houchin’s bill was one of 19 considered Dec. 2 by a House subcommittee chaired by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Florida, who said the bill was part of a “comprehensive strategy to protect kids online.”
“Our approach is straightforward: protect kids, empower parents, and future-proof our legislation as new risks and technologies emerge,” Bilirakis said at the hearing.
Houchin is co-sponsoring another bill with Auchincloss on Artificial Intelligence, and a third targeting explicit and addictive content. The two representatives are also launching the Kids Online Safety Caucus to continue efforts in protecting children on the web, TIME reports.
Indiana has nine representatives in Congress, seven of whom are Republican, including Houchin. She told The Lion the GOP could gain the state’s two other seats if a congressional redistricting map passes in January.
“Indiana is a very Republican state: 90% of our local elected officials in Indiana are Republican,” she said, saying that the redistricting would reflect “the value set of the majority of Hoosiers.”
She said she is “optimistic about the midterm elections” because of the recent “wins . . . for American families” and the growing patriotism surrounding the celebration of America’s 250th birthday in 2026.
