[eMarketer] Consumers, legislators, and courts seek greater protections for children on social media

Social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are at an inflection point where going after the youngest users may no longer be tenable.

A clear majority supports various measures to make social media safer for children after President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve legislation to accomplish just that in his recent State of the Union address, per a recent Morning Consult/Politico poll.

In his speech, Biden urged lawmakers to hold platforms accountable for “the national experiment” they’re conducting on children for profit.

TikTok, YouTube, and Snap were also called to testify before Congress regarding their initiatives to protect children.

TikTok released a report on teen safety in an attempt to preempt further regulator scrutiny; despite that, a UK High Court judge has allowed a class-action case against TikTok over its handling of children's private data to proceed.

After an internal shakeup, Pavni Diwanji, the Meta vice president who headed youth-focused product initiatives (including Instagram for Kids), is leaving.

eMarketer posits that while the metaverse isn’t inherently safer than social media, it’s worth noting that there have been a number of brand campaigns placed in immersive gaming experiences recently, so far with little pushback or criticism.

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