Lawmakers at both state and federal levels are proposing new legislation aimed at protecting minors from sexual exploitation on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X by potentially implementing age restrictions. This move has sparked a debate on whether it is beneficial to restrict minors' access to these platforms, considering the potential for social media to connect individuals facing similar life challenges. Critics, including tech industry groups and digital rights advocates, argue that enforcing such restrictions would necessitate collecting extensive personal information from users, raising significant privacy concerns, as analyzed by Cristiano Lima-Strong. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the high usage of social media among Latino pre-teens and teenagers, given the correlation between excessive screen time and poor mental health outcomes, as noted by Gabriel R. Sanchez. Some argue that these measures could shift the responsibility of monitoring children's social media use from parents to the platforms themselves, further complicating the issue of user privacy, a concern echoed by @ConsumerChoiceC.
First, it was age-gating porn. Now Virginia lawmakers wanna lock young people out of social media, age-gating or restricting apps deemed to have “addictive” feeds. this supplants parental responsibility + threatens user privacy. 📢 @ConsumerChoiceC https://t.co/t709JMcgDq https://t.co/zYwAq0TI8n
High social media usage among Latino pre-teens and teenagers is concerning given the correlation between high screen time and poor mental health outcomes for children, writes Gabriel R. Sanchez. https://t.co/DnWgWMEMaH
Analysis by Cristiano Lima-Strong: Tech industry groups and digital rights advocates have expressed concern that to vet users’ ages and keep off teens, digital platforms will have to collect vast reams of information, raising thorny privacy concerns. https://t.co/gYdo8VTb1y
As legislation moves through Florida Legislature, a core question has been raised: Is it better to keep kids away from social media, at the cost of not letting them be able to connect with others facing similar questions or problems in their lives? https://t.co/MDjyoSDKyj
State and federal lawmakers have proposed a variety of new laws aimed at forcing services like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X to shield minors from sexual exploitation. But they may not be enforceable. https://t.co/XXD73lsMbr