Table of Contents
- 1. Colorado Governor Faces Pressure too Sign Bill Targeting social Media Drug Sales After Teen’s Fentanyl Death
- 2. A Father’s Anguish: Losing Avery to Snapchat Drug Deal
- 3. Senate Bill 86: A Lifeline for families or a Threat to Free Speech?
- 4. Echoes of Tragedy: The Case of Miles congdon
- 5. A Broader crisis: Firearms and Child Exploitation
- 6. The Debate: Free Speech vs. Child Safety
- 7. Recent developments and Practical Implications for Social Media Regulation
- 8. A Parent’s Plea: “Do the Right Thing”
- 9. Given Dr. Carter’s strong stance on prioritizing child safety, what specific actions, beyond platform removal, could be implemented to address the issue of drug sales, illegal firearm sales, and child trafficking on social media?
- 10. Archyde News Interview: examining Colorado’s Senate Bill 86 and Social Media Accountability
- 11. Interview with Dr. Emily Carter, Child Safety Advocate
OLYMPIA, Wash. — As Senate Bill 86 sits on Colorado Governor Jared Polis’s desk, a father who lost his son to fentanyl poisoning is urging the governor to sign the bill into law, accusing social media platforms of enabling drug sales that led to his son’s death. The bill aims to hold social media companies accountable for illegal activities on their platforms.
A Father’s Anguish: Losing Avery to Snapchat Drug Deal
Aaron Ping’s nightmare began last Christmas when his 16-year-old son, Avery, arrived at his mother’s house in Washington. Within 24 hours, Avery had connected with a 33-year-old drug dealer on Snapchat and purchased fentanyl-laced drugs. The transaction, Ping saeid, was shockingly easy. “Within hours of arriving at his mother’s house in Washington last Christmas,Avery had connected with a local drug dealer through Snapchat.The transaction at his home in Olympia was as casual as ordering food through Doordash: a fast search revealed a dealer openly selling drugs who delivered them directly to Avery. Within hours, my son was dead.”
Ping later discovered that Snapchat had been subpoenaed for the dealer’s account records two months before Avery’s death. He believes that Snapchat’s inaction directly contributed to his son’s death. “if Snapchat had enforced their own rules, which they claim keep kids on their platform safe, my son would still be alive.”
Senate Bill 86: A Lifeline for families or a Threat to Free Speech?
Senate Bill 86 seeks to mandate social media platforms to permanently remove users involved in illegal drug sales, illegal firearm sales, and child trafficking. It also requires social media companies to respond promptly to warrants from Colorado law enforcement.
The bill has garnered bipartisan support in the Colorado legislature, with endorsements from every district attorney in the state and collaboration with Attorney General Phil Weiser. However, Governor Polis has expressed reservations, citing concerns about free speech and innovation.
Ping finds these arguments “absurd and offensive.” he argues, “Preventing a drug dealer from offering fentanyl to a child is not a ‘free speech violation.’ Enabling illegal gun sales and child sex trafficking is not ‘innovation.’ These half-baked arguments make a mockery of the heartbroken parents who have been advocating for commonsense reforms for years.”
Echoes of Tragedy: The Case of Miles congdon
Ping’s call to action is echoed by other parents who have suffered similar losses. During his testimony in favor of SB 86, ping met Chelsea Congdon, who lost her son, Miles, to fentanyl poisoning after he purchased what he believed was pain medication on Snapchat.Congdon claims that Snapchat never responded to the police inquiry following Miles’ death,leaving no one accountable.
A Broader crisis: Firearms and Child Exploitation
The issue extends beyond drug sales. Youth violence intervention groups in Colorado report that firearms are easily purchased by teens through social media, frequently enough ending up in schools. This illegal gun trade is facilitated by what many see as lax enforcement policies by social media companies. For instance, while Facebook prohibits gun sales, buyers and sellers can reportedly violate the rule multiple times before being banned.
Moreover, social media platforms have become breeding grounds for child sex trafficking, according to many law enforcement agencies across the country. These platforms allegedly profit from this criminal activity by accepting payments for ads that promote illegal gun and drug dealers to children.
The tech Transparency Project, in one of its investigations into the top tech platforms, revealed over 450 paid advertisements openly selling drugs on Instagram and Facebook in just three months of 2024. These ads, Ping says, weren’t coded messages but displayed explicit photos of pills and powders.
The Debate: Free Speech vs. Child Safety
Governor polis’s office has raised concerns that SB 86 could infringe on free speech and hinder innovation. however, proponents of the bill argue that these concerns are misplaced. They contend that protecting children from illegal activities, like drug sales and child trafficking, should take precedence over the potential impact on free speech or innovation.
Critics also point out that social media companies already have policies in place to prohibit illegal activities on their platforms. The problem, they say, is that these policies are not effectively enforced. SB 86 aims to address this issue by requiring social media companies to take concrete action to remove users who engage in illegal activities.
The debate surrounding SB 86 mirrors a broader national discussion about the regulation of social media platforms. Similar bills have been proposed in other states,and Congress has also considered legislation to hold social media companies accountable for the content on their platforms. The outcome of SB 86 in Colorado could have importent implications for these broader efforts.
One potential application of SB 86 is the creation of a centralized database of users who have been banned from social media platforms for illegal activities. This database could be used to prevent these users from creating new accounts on other platforms. Another potential application is the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to detect and remove illegal content from social media platforms more effectively.
| Aspect | Senate Bill 86 | Governor Polis’ Concerns | Proponents’ Arguments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Goal | Mandate removal of users involved in illegal activities (drugs, firearms, trafficking). | Potential infringement on free speech and innovation. | Protecting children should be prioritized over free speech concerns; existing policies are not enforced effectively. |
| key provisions | Permanent removal of offending users; timely response to law enforcement warrants. | vagueness of definitions; potential for overreach and censorship. | Targets narrowly defined, egregious criminal activity; ensures accountability. |
| Support | Bipartisan support in legislature, all Colorado District attorneys, Attorney General Phil Weiser. | Some tech industry lobbyists. | Parents who have lost children, law enforcement, child safety advocates. |
| Potential Impact | Reduced illegal activity on social media; increased accountability for platforms. | Potential chilling effect on legitimate online expression. | Safer online habitat for children; sends a strong message to social media companies. |
A Parent’s Plea: “Do the Right Thing”
As SB 86 awaits Governor Polis’s signature, Aaron Ping implores him to “do the right thing, drop his nonsensical opposition, and sign it into law without delay. Parents in every corner of our nation will be watching.”
Interview with Dr. Emily Carter, Child Safety Advocate
Interviewer: Welcome, dr. Carter. Thank you for joining us today. Senate Bill 86 in Colorado is generating a lot of headlines. Can you give us a rapid overview of what the bill proposes?
Dr. Carter: Certainly. Senate Bill 86 aims to hold social media platforms accountable for illegal activity on their platforms, specifically targeting drug sales, illegal firearm sales, and child trafficking by mandating the permanent removal of users involved in these activities.
Interviewer: This bill comes at a time when law enforcement and parents are increasingly concerned about the role social media plays in facilitating these illegal activities. What are your primary observations on this matter?
Dr.Carter: The ease with which children can access risky substances and illegal goods through platforms like Snapchat, as the article mentions, is deeply concerning. These platforms often lack proactive measures to combat the sale of fentanyl and other harmful substances directly to minors. It is shocking how unregulated these platforms are becoming, allowing explicit display of illegal substances, guns, and sex trafficking, which could affect millions of users across the country.
Interviewer: The Colorado Governor has expressed concerns about free speech and innovation. How do you respond to those concerns?
Dr. Carter: while free speech is crucial, the safety of children shoudl be prioritized. As the article points out, proponents argue that preventing drug dealers from targeting children doesn’t infringe on free speech, nor does preventing child sex trafficking constitute a lack of innovation. We’re talking about protecting children from immediate and severe harm, not stifling legitimate expression. Protecting a child from harmful substances is not a free speech violation.
Interviewer: The article also mentions the case of Avery Ping, who tragically died due to a fentanyl overdose after purchasing from a Snapchat drug dealer, highlighting the severity of the issue. What is the direct impact it could have in holding the platforms more accountable?
dr. Carter: The bill could force social media platforms to increase their response systems to reports of illegal behavior by immediately removing users. This is a step towards making social media platforms less dangerous for vulnerable users. The prospect of a database of banned users could also prevent re-offending and increase accountability.
Interviewer: The article also discusses that misinformation surrounding the nature of fentanyl exposure is a growing concern. What are the consequences of such misleading narratives?
Dr. Carter: Creating false data of this sort undermines the efforts of law enforcement, doctors, and parents trying to keep our communities and children safe. As the risks associated with exposure are downplayed, the seriousness can be minimized. The real danger is fentanyl exposure and drug overdoses, causing irreparable damage to those exposed.
Interviewer: Social media companies have policies in place to ban the actions addressed in this bill; tho, not all are enforced or taken seriously by the platforms. How can the bill impact the future of the public safety of these platforms if passed?
Dr.Carter: By creating a requirement for enforcement, the bill can help with the response time to violations on these social media channels; it holds the platforms responsible, but also pushes for changes. This is significant because in the case of Miles Congdon, no one was held accountable, and, as the article states, Snapchat never responded to police. Greater urgency in these situations could save thousands of lives.
Interviewer: Looking beyond Colorado,what broader implications might this bill have on a national scale?
Dr. carter: Similar legislation is being considered in multiple states. The outcome of SB 86 could set a precedent, influencing how other states and even Congress approach social media regulation. There is a national discussion happening. If Colorado succeeds with SB 86, it will provide a blueprint for holding social media companies accountable across the country. It could encourage other states to draft similar bills.
Interviewer: Thank you, Dr.Carter, for this insightful viewpoint. with the Governor facing a decision on SB 86, what message would you like to convey to our viewers?
Dr.Carter: I would urge everyone to consider the devastating impact of the fentanyl crisis on families. It is the core obligation of social media companies to ensure the safety of their users. The governor should prioritize child safety and sign the bill into law. Let’s not let concerns about innovation and free speech shield these platforms from doing the right thing: protecting our children. With everything we certainly know about the rising fentanyl crisis, are we doing enough?
