Panel: Legislation and Litigation

This panel shared the insights learned from some of the leading voices trying to mitigate, moderate, and remediate the potential harms that social media poses to today's youth, through legislation and litigation approaches. Together, panelists discussed how different strategies intersect with one another and with scientific evidence, as well as what is still needed from the field to support evidence-based approaches to regulation. This panel took place at the 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress on Sunday, July 13th.

[00:00] Kris Perry
Kris Perry, Executive Director, Children and Screens, introduces herself as the moderator of the panel and opens the floor for the other panelists.

[02:09] Gretchen Peters, MA
Gretchen Peters, MA, Executive Director, Alliance to Counter Crime Online; Advisory Board Member, SOMI (Stitching Onderzoek Marktinformatie / Foundation for Market Information Research) discusses how a career in journalism and an investigation into the ivory trade led her to becoming an advocate for online child safety.

[04:05] Imran Ahmed
Imran Ahmed, CEO and Founder, Center for Countering Digital Hate, introduces himself and how the rise in violence and online hate speech prompted him to start his nonprofit.

[06:10] Alix Fraser
Alix Fraser, Vice President of Advocacy, Issue One, explains his work in fighting for democracy online and how that intersects with supporting the youth.

[07:45] Asking the panelists what brought them to legislation concerns
Perry asks the panel to explain their interests in legislation and litigation, as well as potential winning strategies to policy reform.

[16:15] Current policy issues
Perry asks the panel what policy we are likely to see within the next 6 months to 3 and a half years.

[25:32] Reinforcing laws domestically and internationally
Perry asks Peters for insight on how various countries are regulating online spaces, and what that means for child safety.

[29:27] Helpful evidence and research
Perry asks the panel about evidence that has been helpful to their causes, and what areas still need more extensive research.

[40:04] A magic wand for change
Perry asks the panel to describe what they would do with a magic wand that could change any one thing to better protect children online.

[43:45] Audience Q&A
During the audience Q&A panelists respond to questions about products to enhance online child safety, research questions they would like answered, and how to protect young children as parents.

The remarks and recommendations contained in this session are solely a product of the individual speaker(s) and are not the policy or opinions of, nor do they represent an endorsement by Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.