It’s time to fix app ratings. The current system of hoping technology companies accurately and transparently self-“rate” their own products is broken. As a result, minors are left exposed to grooming, harassment, explicit content, and sexual abuse and exploitation at unprecedented levels.
That’s where House Resolution (H.Res.) 721 comes in.
Faced with the mounting crisis of sexual abuse and exploitation being perpetrated against minors via apps—social media apps, in particular—Protect Young Eyes, Utah State Senator Todd Weiler, child advocate Melissa McKay, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) started a movement to increase accountability in the current app rating system.
After a lot of work raising awareness and efforts to educate lawmakers directly, H.Res. 721 (the “Fix App Ratings” bill) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA4) and Ben McAdams (D-UT4) to recognize the need for an independent app rating review board and for user-friendly parental controls.
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation endorsed the bill and NCOSE president Patrick Trueman noted its importance:
“Greater transparency and accountability in-app ratings is vital in the modern digital landscape, where children are often exposed to hardcore pornography before puberty or groomed for sexual abuse or sex trafficking on apps that claim to be safe and age-appropriate. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation applauds this resolution that calls on the technology community to do its part to provide accurate content and risk information.”
Now your help is needed and MASSIVELY IMPORTANT!
We need the movement to end sexual exploitation, made up of passionate advocates such as yourself, to take a moment to advocate to Congress the importance of passing this bill. Members of Congress are MOST responsive to requests from people who live in their congressional district because these people are their constituents—the ones who elect the representative to office.
To make things easy, we’ve made an easy-to-use action that allows you to quickly email, tweet, and/or call your elected Representative in order to express your support of H.Res. 721 (the “Fix App Ratings” bill) and to encourage them to support its passage.
