Beginning with a discussion on the historical development of legal protections for child entertainers in the United States, Rios traces the evolution of child labor laws during the early film era, focusing on the creation of the Coogan Act to examine the ascension of family influencers in the age of social media. Rios critiques the insufficiency of these legal systems to protect the interest of the children of influencers and explains the proliferation of profiting from child abuse, ultimately advocating for a law that prohibits the monetization of content featuring children.
Thania M. Rios, Beyond the Coogan Fund: The Failure of Financial Solutions to Address the Legal and Ethical Dilemmas Raised by Child Entertainers, 28 J. Gender, Race & Just. 493 (2025).