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Harms to Safety
<br /> The pressure to spend more time on digital media platforms and maximize interactions with
<br /> other users also puts children at risk of predation.Twenty-five percent of 9-to-17-year-olds
<br /> report having had an online sexually explicit interaction with someone they believed to be an
<br /> adult.55 In 2020, 17% of minors—including 14% of 9-12-year-olds— reported having shared a
<br /> nude photo or video of themselves online. Of these children and teens, 50% reported having
<br /> shared a nude photo or video with someone they had not met in real life, and 41% reported
<br /> sharing with someone over the age of 18.56
<br /> Design features that maximize engagement also increase young people's risk of cyberbullying. A
<br /> 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center found that nearly 50% of teens reported being
<br /> cyberbullied.57 Sexual minority and gender expansive youth report being exposed to
<br /> anonymous forms of cyberbullying more than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts.58
<br /> Cyberbullying is linked to increased risky behaviors such as smoking and increased risk of
<br /> suicidal ideation.59
<br /> It's worth noting that these serious threats to children's safety aren't limited to social media.
<br /> The FTC's recent settlement with Epic Games documented how the default text and voice chat
<br /> settings on Fortnite led children and teens to communicate with strangers, including adults. As
<br /> a result, children were subject to harassment, bullying, and predation while playing the wildly
<br /> popular game.60
<br /> IV. The platforms where children spend the majority of their time online are designed to
<br /> maximize engagement, often at the expense of children's wellbeing and safety.
<br /> Digital platforms are designed to maximize engagement.The longer a user is on a platform and
<br /> the more they do on the platform, the more data the user generates. Tech companies and their
<br /> marketing partners use this valuable data to target users with advertising.61 Gaming app
<br /> companies employ teams of experts who specialize in user acquisition and retention.61 The
<br /> ss Thorn. "Responding to Online Threats: Minors' Perspectives on Disclosing, Reporting,and Blocking." (May 2021),
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<br /> 16 Thorn. "Understanding sexually explicit images,self-produced by children." (9 Dec. 2020),
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<br /> 57 Emily A.Vogels et.al„Teens and Cyberbullying 202Z Pew Research Center, (Dec. 2022),
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<br /> "Bauman,S.,& Baldasare,A., Cyber aggression among college students:Demographic differences,predictors of
<br /> distress, and the role of the university,56 Journal of College Student Development 317 (2015),
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<br /> 59van Geel M,Vedder P,Tanilon J.Relationship Between Peer Victimization, Cyberbullying, and Suicide in Children
<br /> and Adolescents:A Meta-analysis,JAMA Pediatr.2014;168(5):435-442.doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.4143
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<br /> "Case 5:22-cv-00518-BO,Epic Games:Complaint for Permanent Injunction, (Dec. 19,2022),
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<br /> 61 See generally 511ights Foundation. "Pathways: How digital design puts children at risk." (July 2021),
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<br /> 62 See, e.g., Leading User Acquisition in the quickly growing mobile games industry:Get to know Winnie Wen of Jam
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<br /> Testimony of Josh Golin, Fairplay, February 14, 2023 9
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