1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

The proposed ban on social media access for children under 14 raises serious concerns about both effectiveness and unintended consequences. While protecting young people online is an important goal, broad prohibitions like this often push usage underground rather than addressing the root issues. Young people rely on online platforms for education, community, and support, especially those who may not have safe environments offline. Cutting off access entirely risks isolating vulnerable groups and limiting exposure to valuable resources, without meaningfully improving their safety. Additionally, enforcing such a ban would require intrusive age-verification systems that create privacy and cybersecurity risks for everyone, including minors. Collecting sensitive personal data to prove age increases the chances of data breaches and misuse, potentially exposing young people to greater harm than the bill would prevent. A more effective approach would focus on digital literacy and platform accountability, rather than broad restrictions that compromise privacy and restrict access to beneficial online spaces. I urge you to oppose this bill in favor of solutions that protect both the safety and rights of all Americans online.