Meta · France · Elon Musk · Instagram · TikTok · CNBC Technology
Countries around the world are considering teen social media bans, why experts warn it’s a ‘lazy’ fix
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Governments around the world are making efforts to crack down on teen social media use amid mounting evidence of potential harms, but critics argue blanket bans are an ineffective quick fix.
Key facts
- These developments are set to "unleash a lot more legislation," Sonia Livingstone, social psychology professor and director of the London School of Economics' Digital Futures for Children center
- Several European countries are now looking to follow Australia's lead, with the U.K., Spain, France, and Austria drafting their own proposals
- A Santa Fe jury found Meta misled users about child safety on its apps
- She highlighted the U.K.'s Online Safety Act, which "requires safety by design", this means features such as Snapchat's "Quick Add" that invite teens to befriend others should be stopped, according
Summary
Australia became the first country to enforce a sweeping social media ban for under-16s in December, requiring platforms like Meta's Instagram, ByteDance's TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube, Elon Musk's X, and Reddit to implement age verification measures or face penalties. Several European countries are now looking to follow Australia's lead, with the U.K., Spain, France, and Austria drafting their own proposals. It comes after Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, faced two separate defeats in trials related to child safety and social media harms in March. A Santa Fe jury found Meta misled users about child safety on its apps.