Today, our children are growing up with easy access to all the information the internet has to offer. And while new technology comes with its benefits, our rapidly changing, increasingly online world presents a range of new dangers – from mental health issues linked to rising social media use to explicit and pornographic content promoted by adult websites – that parents often struggle to keep up with. That’s why families in Georgia have asked our leaders to step in and provide parents with the tools to protect children online.

A new poll found that 87% of parents support regulations to protect children from dangerous content on the internet. More than 90% of respondents in the same survey wanted online content providers to play a role in keeping kids and teens safe from inappropriate and harmful material, and 88% said they supported companies – including social media platforms, dating apps, videogame makers, and pornography websites – using technology to verify the ages of their users to block children from dangerous content. Unfortunately, the same companies that parents want to make changes to protect children online are fighting tirelessly to avoid accountability and make others responsible for their actions.

Pornography companies, for example, have lobbied extensively against efforts to pass age verification legislation that would keep minors off adult websites. And now they are trying to shift the blame to others and dodge responsibility for preventing children from accessing explicit content. Porn companies are trying to argue that other companies deeper in the technology stack – like device manufacturers or internet service providers – should shoulder the costs of what they refuse to do. They’re trying to pass the buck, and unfortunately, social media companies have taken a page out of their playbook.

Last year, leaders at Facebook voiced their support for a proposal that would make other app stores responsible for verifying their users’ ages. Immediately, Facebook poured millions of dollars into an ad campaign to trick lawmakers into supporting their proposal, and companies like TikTok and dating app conglomerate Match Group have lobbied in support of the plan.

They won’t admit it, but these companies simply want to avoid the consequences of the harm their products and services have on their young, vulnerable users. Facebook doesn’t want to be held accountable for pushing dangerous content through its addictive algorithms to teenagers on Instagram. TikTok wants to continue to engage in unethical data collection practices targeting children. Match doesn’t want to be responsible for keeping minors off of the dating apps it owns like, Hinge and Tinder.

Of course, there are some major problems with these plans to evade accountability. For one, experts agree that the device filter mandates supported by the pornography industry and Facebook- and TikTok-backed app store age verification bills are unconstitutional. Already, the Supreme Court has weighed in to strike down similar proposals for violating the First Amendment. That means Georgians’ tax dollars would be tied up litigating the problem in court instead of being used to protect our children online.

Even if Facebook’s plan were to survive a challenge in court, their proposal wouldn’t do much of anything to protect children, who could simply go around app stores to access Instagram, TikTok, or Tinder on any web browser rendering their alleged solution useless. However, companies like Facebook and TikTok can take actions that would keep children safe online. Facebook, for example, announced that they would verify Instagram users’ ages to keep minors off of the platform after leaders in Washington, D.C. threatened the company with regulations. This action shows that the age verification technology parents support is readily available to social media companies and that public pressure from lawmakers and community leaders can force bad actors to make substantive changes.

Lawmakers in the state legislature do have a role to play when it comes to protecting our children from online dangers, but they shouldn’t fall for a scheme cooked up by social media giants and pornography companies designed to avoid accountability. Instead, we need our elected leaders to push these bad actors to implement changes that will make a real difference.

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