Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force Announces Recommendations and Best Practices for Safe Internet Use

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force, co-led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (DOC) National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), released a new report with recommendations and best practices for safer social media and online platform use for youth. The recommendations in the report, Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry , underscore the Administration’s efforts to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis and support the President’s Unity Agenda for the nation. Task Force members also committed to future actions, including providing more resources for kids, teenagers and families, guidance for pediatricians and conducting more research.

“Across the Biden-Harris Administration, we are committed to combatting the youth mental health crisis in this country and ensuring Americans have the tools and support they need to thrive online,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As more and more of kids’ time is spent online, this administration is taking steps to protect their privacy and mental health. The recommendations in our report will chart a path toward an Internet that works for everyone.”

“President Biden has made addressing the youth mental health crisis a top priority. That’s why we are taking steps to ensure the safety and well-being of young people when they use social media and online platforms,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration has whole-of-government approach to protect the mental health, safety, and privacy of youth online, but it will take more than government alone to achieve results.”

Approximately 95% of teenagers, and 40% of children between the ages of eight and 12 years old, use some form of social media. Digital technology use can both benefit young people’s well-being and expose them to significant harm. Social media use has been associated with risks to physical and mental health, including exposure to bullying, online harassment and abuse, discrimination, and child sexual exploitation. And adolescents who seek out information about health and safety topics online risk encountering inaccurate information that can be unhelpful or actively dangerous.

The report released today provides a summary of the risks and benefits of social media on the health, safety, and privacy of young people; best practices for parents and caregivers; recommended practices for industry; a research agenda; and suggested future work, including for the federal government. Youth advocates, civil society organizations, academic researchers and other experts provided input into the Task Force’s recommendations.

“SAMHSA is focused on helping young people, their parents, caregivers and others to protect their mental health when using social media and online platforms,” said Task Force Co-Chair Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. “We know that while there are some benefits to using this technology, such as building connections and supportive communities, there is also substantial cause for concern, and we want to reduce the potential harms as much as possible so that young people can thrive.”

“As young people spend more of their lives online, it is past time to act and do more to protect them,” said Task Force Co-Chair Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “This Task Force report outlines practices and design choices that companies can implement today to prioritize the privacy of kids, their well-being. and their ability to thrive online. Our report suggests changes that will help young people safely navigate and enjoy all the benefits the Internet offers, while minimizing the risks they face.”