Regulating the internet is a hot topic in Congress. To help you understand what is going on and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest...
States are racing to pass laws aiming to protect children while they’re online. More than 100 state bills were introduced in 2023 that relate to the topic of child online safety, per one estimate. The policies include forcing certain websites to verify the age of users, alerting parents or guardians to certain online activity, restricting online usage during the night, or adding web safety to K-12 education. The trend is bipartisan: Major policies have emerged in Utah, California and beyond.
The regs would open up all sorts of online services to a litany of lawsuits since many bring fines or civil liability, and many are very broad in their wording. For example, being required to mitigate against any “harms” to children online. Legal challenges are already underway, with tech firms and trade groups arguing the laws are preempted by federal child safety laws or are unconstitutional. Opponents point to unintended consequences, such as the privacy concerns of verifying users’ ages, which ramps up the collection of highly personal data. Others say kids could lose online support groups that help them cope with stress or other issues, or that the complex regs won’t bring the benefits proponents want.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Meanwhile, Congress is still mulling several prominent child online safety bills. Finally, federal telecom regulators will have a full slate of commissioners. It will likely take until the fall, but it will help advance many major issues, such as improving broadband mapping, deploying billions in broadband funding, etc. The Federal Communications Commission has had four commissioners, two Democrats and two Republicans since President Biden took office. His last nominee bowed out after opposition from Republican senators and some Democrats. Biden’s latest nominee for commissioner is Anna Gomez, who has years of experience in government and private telecom work and is likely to easily get OK’d in the Senate. Expect a resurgence of partisan telecom fights, such as net neutrality, when Democrats gain a majority and aren’t constrained by a 2-2 deadlock.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Read more
- TikTok Ban Winners and Social Media Changes: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
- Three Legal Documents Your Child Should Sign When They Turn 18
- Uh-Oh: My Kid Wants to Be a ‘Social Media Influencer’ … What Are the Legal Risks?
-
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Head South as Treasury Yields Hit New Highs
Expectations for another potential rate hike sent yields on both the 2-year and 10-year Treasury bonds to their highest levels in almost two decades.
-
Biden Cancels $37M in Student Loan Debt for Phoenix University Borrowers
Student loans for 1,200+ Phoenix University enrollees cancelled over misleading ad campaign.
-
Investments In U.S.-Made Drone Technology Are Gaining Strength — The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter The U.S.-Made drone aircraft, software sector has been boosted by a crackdown on Chinese drones amid security concerns.
-
Congress Races to Pass a Spending Bill as a Gov. Shutdown Looms — The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter McCarthy faces push-back from Congress and moderate House Republicans as they move to avoid a Gov. shutdown
-
State Legislators Are Switching Parties at a Fast Rate: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
Economic Forecasts Switching is pacing well above the 30-year average, with Dems losing more than the GOP.
-
Falling Prices in China Could Be a Boon For the U.S.: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
Economic Forecasts Falling prices in China could be a boon for the U.S. as the country's weakened economy shows no clear signs of improvement.
-
Could Donald Trump's Trials Affect His Reelection Bid?: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
Economic Forecasts So far, Trump's indictments haven't dented his popularity among Republican voters.
-
Key U.S. Foreign Policy Challenges in Power Struggle with China and Russia: Kiplinger Forecasts
Economic Forecasts The U.S. faces a power struggle with China and Russia, with challenges like controlling exports of critical technologies and responding to the war on Ukraine.
-
Do UFOs Exist? Congress Will Push Defense Department to Tell All: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
Economic Forecasts After a first round of hearings, Congress will continue to push the Department of Defense to share what it knows about UFOs and UAPs.
-
Clean Energy Backlog Eases with Groundbreaking New Rule: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
Economic Forecasts The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is opening up the pathway to the electric grid, easing a clean energy backlog with a groundbreaking new rule.
