Westmoreland Review

On May 16, 2024, Representative Jill Cooper (R-Westmoreland) voiced her concerns over House Bill 2017, a proposal intended to enhance the safety of social media usage, particularly for children. Despite its good intentions, Rep. Cooper expressed that the bill could potentially infringe upon First Amendment rights.

The bill, which passed the House with a vote of 105-95 earlier this month and is now under Senate consideration, includes provisions requiring social media platforms to verify users' ages. It stipulates that those under 16 must obtain parental or guardian approval before creating an account.

While acknowledging parents' concerns about their children's unsupervised use of social media, Rep. Cooper raised issues with the bill's language regarding data collection for targeted advertising towards young users. She stated her preference for a complete prohibition on such practices.

However, her most significant concern lies in a provision mandating social media platforms to ban hate speech. The representative pointed out that the bill fails to provide a clear definition of what constitutes hate speech. She warned against using government power to restrict certain types of speech as it could undermine the core principles of the First Amendment.

Rep. Cooper also criticized House Democrat leaders for using procedural maneuvers to bypass the amendment process, thereby missing an opportunity to address these concerns and make necessary changes.

Despite her reservations about House Bill 2017 in its current form, Rep. Cooper remains hopeful that through dialogue between legislators, they can arrive at legislation that ensures safety without infringing upon constitutional rights.

In addition to her commentary on House Bill 2017, Rep. Cooper announced several upcoming events and opportunities in her district:

1. A free Mobile Shredding Event on Thursday, May 23 at her Washington Township/Export Office in Donal Plaza.

2. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Fish for Free day on Sunday, May 26.

3. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Historical and Archival Records Care grant program, with applications due by August 1.

She also mentioned a partnership with the Westmoreland Food Bank for a food drive in conjunction with the shredding event. She encouraged constituents to bring non-perishable food donations in non-glass containers.