Instagram’s potential harm to children has united a liberal Democrat from the Northeast, Richard Blumenthal and a hard-right conservative Republican from the South, Marsha Blackburn.

As the top Democrat and the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, the two have joined forces to go after one of the most powerful forces on earth: Big Tech. Any legislation that carries both their support will be seriously considered given their committee leadership and divergent political backgrounds.

Host Claire Thornton is joined by USA TODAY Congressional reporters Mabinty Quarshie and Ledyard King to discuss what how lawmakers are joining forces to try to strengthen privacy laws around social media and protect young users.

Podcast transcript linked here.

Also available at art19.com/shows/5-Things.

Additional reading:

Instagram's dangers to children unite liberal and conservative lawmakers who agree on little else

Is Facebook changing company name? Shift to metaverse ignites rebranding plan, report says

Facebook officials knew Instagram can have negative mental health impacts for teens, report claims

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