Ruby Franke’s daughter speaks to lawmakers about protecting child influencers

SALT LAKE CITY – The daughter of “mommy vlogger” Ruby Franke, who was sentenced to prison for child molestation earlier this year, spoke to Utah lawmakers Wednesday about the issue of minors on social media.

The Interim Committee on Economic Affairs and Labor discussed recommendations for legal changes to protect child influencers. This also included the creation of financial protection for minors who receive compensation for the use of their likeness.

Shari Franke, Ruby’s daughter, spoke to the committee.

“I come today not as the daughter of a felon or the victim of an unusually abusive mother – I come today as the victim of family vlogging,” Shari said.

Shari said her goal in her speech was not to present any idea of ​​a solution to this problem, but rather to shed light on the ethical and financial issues that arise from being a child influencer.

“I want to make it clear that there is never a good reason to put your children online for money or fame,” Shari said. “There is no such thing as a moral or ethical family blogger.”

Describing her own experiences as a child influencer, she said she didn’t realize the impact being filmed as a child would have on her.

“I was fully aware that I was an employee,” Shari said. “My friends became scarce because dates were being filmed and none of my friends wanted to be on camera. The camera never stops.”

Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were there in February each sentenced to four prison terms of between 1 and 15 yearsone for each of the four counts of child abuse to which they pleaded guilty.

Their arrests came after one of Ruby Franke’s children fled Hildebrandt’s home in August and knocked on a neighbor’s door in Ivins, asking for food and water. The neighbor noticed tape on the child’s ankles and wrists and took action, calling the police.

READ: Anti-“child torture” bill introduced in Utah state legislature

“There is no law that guarantees that child influencers will make money from their work,” Shari said. “I expect that there will be legal crises when these children realize that vlogging causes severe emotional distress, or perhaps these children realize that they don’t have enough money to show for their work after all.”

Sitting next to Shari as she spoke was Rep. Doug Owens, D-Millcreek.

“I think there is a role for government to protect these children, at least starting with financial protection,” said Rep. Owens.

Rep. Owens is pushing to ensure that the money generated by a job as a child actor in traditional media or social media is protected or set aside.

“The child receives a fair share of that income and it is protected for them until they become adults,” said Rep. Owens.

He says his bill would also touch on other issues.

“We’re looking at the idea that when a child reaches adulthood, perhaps they should have a right to have old content portray them as a child in a way that they don’t want to be portrayed to the world as an adult,” he told Rep. Owens .

Finally, Shari said she was proud to be one of the first child influencers in Utah to speak out against this issue.

“Family vlogging destroyed my innocence long before Ruby committed a crime,” Shari said. “Let’s address this problem before it becomes a bigger crisis than it already is.”

Rep. Owens said Wednesday’s discussion was more about education as they prepare for next January’s legislative session.