Online Safety in the Free State

Featuring

Dr. Mary K. Alvord, Psychologist and Director, Alvord, Baker & Associates

Aliya Bhatia, Policy Analyst, Center for Democracy & Technology

Del. Jared Solomon, Delegate, District 18, Maryland House of Delegates

Shoshana Weissmann, Digital Director and Fellow, R Street Institute

Andrew Zack, Policy Manager, Family Online Safety Institute

Overview

Online safety policy has been one of the most bipartisan areas of collaboration recently and jurisdictions are racing to create new regulations that protect their citizens. States across the U.S. are no exception, as the past few years have seen dozens of bills advance through legislatures including the establishment of data privacy rights, new requirements for online content moderation, age restrictions for accessing social media, and age-appropriate design codes. Maryland is one such state, as the 2023 legislative session included the introduction and advancement of the Maryland Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (also known as the Kids Code) and the Social Media Regulation and Safety for Children. The Kids Code, modeled after California’s act that became law last year and the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code, passed the House of Delegates but did not advance out of the Senate. The Social Media Regulation would require platforms to delete all data on children under 13 or face a fine, and also did not advance this past session.

This in-person briefing will examine these proposals in Maryland, highlight new online safety laws in other states like California and Utah, and cover the significant legislative efforts in Congress and around the world. The panel will feature state and national leaders in the regulatory space and discuss both the local and global trends in online safety. There will also be a section dedicated to audience Q&A to ensure that state-specific concerns are included in the conversation. Lunch will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

For media inquiries or to register as press, please contact [email protected].

Parking

Parking for this event is limited. The Annapolis Waterfront Hotel is a valet only venue and based upon availability. We strongly encourage rideshare options (carpool with other attendees, Uber/Lyft/Taxis). In addition to free valet parking at the venue, there is hourly street parking.

Questions?

If you have any questions please reach out to Marissa Edmund [email protected].