OLYMPIA, Wash. — A University of Washington freshman, Chris McCarty, is lobbying lawmakers in Olympia to pass legislation that would protect the privacy of the children of online influencers.
McCarty, 18, created the site Quit Clicking Kids and testified before Washington state lawmakers on Tuesday.
McCarty testified they wanted to advocate for children’s right to privacy online after learning about an influencer, Myka Stauffer, who shared extensive content online and made money sharing stories about an adopted son who had special medical needs. Stauffer later relinquished custody of the boy but kept all of the money and left the videos posted on YouTube.
Quit Clicking Kids was created to “combat the monetization of children on social media” and advocates for the passage of House Bill 1627 in Washington state.
HB 1627 would protect the "interests of minors featured on for-profit family vlogs" by requiring the parents of child influencers to set aside part of the revenue from their content for separate funds their children could access when they reach a certain age. The law would affect creators whose content generates at least 10 cents per view and features their children in at least 30% of their paid content.
The bill would also grant children the right to remove their name and likeness online as they choose later in life.
HB 1627 is scheduled for discussion at the House Committee's executive session Thursday.