Nebraska U.S. Senator Deb Fischer this week voted to advance the Kids Online Safety Act. Sen. Fischer’s Dark Patterns amendment was included in the act.
“Families worry about the mental health and safety of their children spending so much time online. This bill puts guardrails in place to protect kids from harassment or exploitation on online platforms.
“The language I added will rein in manipulative interfaces that trick users into compulsive use and giving up personal data. Let’s put an end to these unethical practices and better protect kids,” said Sen. Fischer.
Known as “dark patterns”, these deceptive interfaces are designed to trick online users, including teens and children, into sharing information, compromising default settings, and triggering compulsive usage.
Fischer reintroduced the bipartisan bicameral Deceptive Experiences to Online Users Reduction Act to address this issue.
Fischer is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee.