For National Write to Congress Day, VOC is writing in support of the Filter Bubble Transparency Act. The Filter Bubble Transparency Act addresses a bipartisan issue regarding social media privacy and transparency with your personal information and data.
This act aims to make social media companies more open about how they are using your personal information. Internal Facebook documents indicated that algorithms fueled by our data can be detrimental to our mental health. With the passing of this act, users will be given the option to turn off the algorithm and to know where their data is going. 

As young adults, social media plays a prominent role in our lives and is a necessary facet within today’s mile-a-minute world. However, a glaring issue with social media is privacy. A majority of large social media companies’ profits come from the exploitation of privacy; companies like Facebook (Meta) and Twitter have become notorious for selling highly personal data for profit.
The problem at hand is not that data is being collected, instead, it is the fact that people are not aware that their data is being collected to mold their online experiences. When big tech companies do not divulge this information, lives are at risk. Through studies, we have seen how harmful social media algorithms can be, especially to the self-image of susceptible teenage girls. In 2012, Facebook’s internal documents revealed that the company was well aware that Instagram (which they purchased) harmed teenage girls. While we cannot stop the social media freight train, it is imperative that Congress makes it clear how vulnerable consumers are affected by their technology.
With the Filter Bubble Transparency Act, people will be able to use social media in a safe, productive, and enjoyable way. We believe it is a necessity to have the option to “opt-out of algorithmic content feeds informed by users' personal data” (FBTA) in order for children and adults alike to participate in social media related activity without worrying about their safety and privacy. As social media platforms grow in popularity, privacy problems will continue to exist without regulation. Now is the time to shed light on the information that consumers need most.

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