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California passes sweeping online safety rules for kids
More protections for kids, privacy concerns for adults
www.theverge.com
Aimed at making online platforms safer for children, it requires web services “likely to be accessed by children” to conduct a survey assessing the potential risks for users under 18. Among many other measures, the sites must limit using personal information from minors and avoid collecting geolocation data unless “strictly necessary,” among other restrictions. It similarly restricts using “dark patterns,” a general term for manipulative design features that isn’t defined in the text. And the bill requires services to establish the age of child users with a “reasonable level of certainty” to implement higher standards for privacy and safety.
If enacted into law, I suspect a lot of websites will implement the necessary changes for all visitors, regardless of where they are located.