Sammy’s Law (Child Online Safety / Platform API Access)
Current understanding
Sammy’s Law is a proposed federal framework that would require large social media platforms to provide interoperable mechanisms (APIs) allowing FTC-registered third-party safety software providers to monitor and manage minors’ accounts on behalf of parents or guardians. The stated aim is to help detect and prevent harms to minors such as suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and sexual abuse or exploitation. Contested questions include the privacy implications for minors, the security and vetting of registered safety vendors, and how platform liability and data-sharing obligations should be scoped.
Evidence log
- 2025-06-26 — STOP CSAM Act of 2025: cross-connection with stop-csam-act: Both impose platform/provider obligations to protect minors from online exploitation — STOP CSAM via mandatory CyberTipline reporting and civil/criminal liability for hosting CSAM, Sammy’s Law via third-party monitoring API access. (novelty: 3)
- 2026-03-02 — James T. Woods Act: cross-connection with james-t-woods-act: Both target online harms to minors: Sammy’s Law via platform API access for third-party monitoring, and the Woods Act via new criminal offenses for online coercion and sextortion. (novelty: 3)
- 2002-10-02 — Child Obscenity and Pornography Prevention Act of 2002: cross-connection with child-obscenity-pornography-prevention-act-2002: Complementary approaches to online child protection — the 2002 Act focuses on criminalizing imagery (including virtual) and centralized reporting, while Sammy’s Law focuses on platform monitoring access for parents. (novelty: 2)
- 2025-06-11 — STOP CSAM Act of 2025: cross-connection with stop-csam-act: Both target online-platform harms to minors: Sammy’s Law focuses on third-party monitoring/API access, while STOP CSAM Act imposes reporting duties and creates civil remedies for CSAM victims. (novelty: 3)
- 2026-06-24 — NO FAKES Act of 2026: cross-connection with no-fakes-act-digital-replica-rights: Both impose new duties on online platforms — NO FAKES via notice-and-takedown for unauthorized replicas, Sammy’s Law via API access for child-safety tools. (novelty: 4)
- 2025-12-11 — Sammy’s Law: cross-connection with preventing-child-trafficking: Both address protecting minors from exploitation and abuse — Sammy’s Law targets online/platform-mediated harms via third-party monitoring, while the Preventing Child Trafficking Act addresses trafficking more broadly. (novelty: 3)