Senator Hwang Statement on Meta’s New Instagram Teen Accounts

Sen. Tony Hwang today released the following statement regarding Meta’s new Instagram Teen Accounts for teens ages 13-17.

“More must be done to address the addictive qualities of social media for vulnerable young people. It must be a constant battle because our children’s safety is paramount. Here in Connecticut, we strive on a bipartisan basis to be a role model for other states when it comes to social media safety. We have passed significant laws in our state to limit the mental health and safety risks that social networks pose to children and teenagers.

In Connecticut, we must resolve to continue to lead the nation in the area of protecting people’s data and online privacy. We must prioritize parental engagement in decisions or plans to address student health and safety.
This is especially crucial when it comes to controversial solutions to protecting our children on the internet and social media.”

Last year, Sen. Hwang voted in favor of online and social media data privacy legislation. The law sought to better protect children and people of all ages by maintaining checks and balances against a Controller, a for-profit entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data. In 2022, Sen. Hwang voted in favor of nationally recognized internet provider data privacy legislation (Public Act 22-15).