Title: Calling for the establishment of an app ratings board to enforce consistent and accurate age and content ratings of apps on internet-ready devices and calling on technology companies to ensure the implementation of user-friendly and streamlined parental controls on devices used by minors.
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
This resolution calls for (1) technology and application (app) development companies to establish an app rating board to establish new criteria for age-appropriate app ratings, and (2) technology companies to manufacture internet-ready devices with user-friendly parental controls and default safety settings.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 721 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 721

   Calling for the establishment of an app ratings board to enforce 
  consistent and accurate age and content ratings of apps on internet-
    ready devices and calling on technology companies to ensure the 
 implementation of user-friendly and streamlined parental controls on 
                        devices used by minors.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2019

 Mr. Johnson of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. McAdams) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Calling for the establishment of an app ratings board to enforce 
  consistent and accurate age and content ratings of apps on internet-
    ready devices and calling on technology companies to ensure the 
 implementation of user-friendly and streamlined parental controls on 
                        devices used by minors.

Whereas internet-ready devices, and the applications that run on such devices, 
        are used by millions of minors daily;
Whereas the most-downloaded apps often include content that is not consistent 
        with the age rating or description of such apps;
Whereas clarity in the rating of apps is a critical part of social 
        responsibility on the part of leading technology companies when 
        including apps in their databases for their users to download;
Whereas parents of minors deserve transparency and accuracy in the ratings of 
        apps and the meanings behind those ratings;
Whereas no third-party organization is holding app developers accountable to 
        ensure that app age ratings are consistent and accurate across devices 
        and that app descriptions adequately explain the content and advertising 
        available to minors in such apps;
Whereas no third-party organization has the authority to impose sanctions for 
        nondisclosure related to app content and advertising;
Whereas apps contain unique risks of both exposure to inappropriate content and 
        predators, so a specific app rating system that takes these unique risks 
        into account is needed;
Whereas social media is increasingly being used to recruit and sexually exploit 
        young users for sexual abuse or sex trafficking;
Whereas social media is increasingly used for sexual harassment and sexualized 
        bullying, including unsolicited sexually explicit images, repeated 
        requests for sexually explicit imagery, sexual images that are not 
        consensually shared, and unwanted exposure to pornographic images;
Whereas recent studies indicate that excessive use of social media, particularly 
        in young girls, can lead to an increase in depressive symptoms;
Whereas suicide rates, depression, and mental health issues among adolescents in 
        the United States have been found to increase as social media use has 
        surged within the same age group;
Whereas many providers and users of interactive computer services covered by 
        section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230), as added 
        by section 509 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, have failed to 
        comply with basic best business practices in connection with the 
        protection of minors from harmful content, therefore instigating 
        interest in a review of the status of such providers and users under 
        section 230 unless the business practices of such providers and users 
        come into alignment with reasonable care and best business practices of 
        such providers and users appropriate for protecting minors;
Whereas popular apps often do not include parental controls or have inadequate 
        parental controls;
Whereas the parental controls provided on internet-ready devices are often 
        insufficient, ignore the age of users, contain loopholes, and are 
        difficult to implement, leaving minors unprotected from sexual abuse and 
        exploitation; and
Whereas the improper use of internet-ready devices during school hours 
        contributes to student distraction and lower test scores and the use of 
        such devices during bedtime hours can lead to sleep disturbance: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on technology and app development companies to 
        establish an app rating board, comprised of industry 
        representatives and child development, child protection, and 
        internet safety subject matter experts to--
                    (A) establish new criteria for what content and in-
                app risks result in specified age-appropriate app 
                ratings;
                    (B) review app ratings and descriptions of the 
                most-downloaded apps; and
                    (C) impose sanctions for noncompliance; and
            (2) calls on technology companies to--
                    (A) manufacture internet-ready devices, including 
                iPhones, Android devices, and Chromebooks, with user-
                friendly parental controls;
                    (B) close loopholes that permit the bypassing of 
                parental controls;
                    (C) build in age-based, default safety settings; 
                and
                    (D) provide selective app shutoff for bedtime and 
                school hours.
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