Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., told Newsmax on Wednesday that parents are concerned that "technology is outpacing Washington, D.C., laws and the regulatory environment," arguing that any response to teen social media use should involve families in policy decisions.
On "Ed Henry: The Big Take," the lawmaker was asked whether modest government regulation is needed beyond education.
Fry responded, "I've got a bill that actually pulls these stakeholders together."
He said the measure, the Kids Internet Safety Partnership, is "designed to get parents at the forefront."
Fry added, "There should be some guardrails on this for kids and especially for parents."
The host discussed Republican concerns of overregulation while balancing free speech and protecting minors, as social media companies face lawsuits alleging harm to young users.
"Well, I think it's important," Fry said. "Europe kind of highlights maybe the dangers in going too far, right where they've used laws that are supposed to protect kids as censorship regimes."
He added that "we've had some congressional hearings on that," while returning to what he said he hears at home: "It's important to what I hear from parents in the district that I represent."
"They are concerned," adding that "parents are concerned that they can't keep up with what's going on."
Fry said that "kids, of course, are going to test those boundaries and find ways around them" and that he views parental involvement as central when weighing proposals.
"I think it's super important that you educate parents, that you pull them in," he added.
Fry said responsibility is shared, saying, "I think social media companies have a responsibility for that. ... Certainly Washington, from a policymaker perspective, has a responsibility."
The goal, Fry said, should be "educating parents so that they know what to do," warning of "so many tragic stories out there, sextortion stories" that lead young people to kill themselves.
Fry called it "this endless charade." He said, "Congress has ... there's a ton of ideas out there."
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in court on Wednesday and pushed back against claims that Instagram is designed to be addictive for young users.
The lawsuit is a bellwether proceeding in Los Angeles County Superior Court tied to broader litigation over youth social media harms, with reports describing more than 1,600 plaintiffs, including families and school districts.
Fry said that corrective measures must inevitably include both industry and parents: "It really is important that social media companies have a seat at the table."
He added, "More importantly, parents have a seat at the table so that they know what's going on and that they know how to monitor and filter what's going on with their kids."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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