In the USA, they want to ban children under 13 from joining social networks

In the US, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a new federal bill that would set a minimum age for social media users and require companies to obtain parental consent before creating accounts for teenagers. This was reported by CNN Business.

The document aims to address the so-called mental health crisis caused by social media. It also reflects a growing trend at all levels of government to limit the interaction of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms with young users.

According to the draft Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, companies will be prohibited from allowing children under the age of 13 to create accounts or interact with other users. But teens will still be able to view content without signing in.

Affected platforms will be required to obtain parental or guardian consent before creating new accounts for users under the age of 18. Companies will also be prohibited from using teenagers’ personal information to target content or advertising. However, they will be able to provide adolescents with limited targeted recommendations by relying on other contextual cues.

We will remind you that most of the major social networks already prohibit access to their platforms to children under 13 years old as part of the federal Children’s Privacy Act. But enforcing this restriction is a difficult task.