US EditionTexas Lawmakers on the Verge of Passing Social Media Ban for Minors Under 18
- Texas lawmakers, led by Republican State Representative Jared Patterson, are close to passing House Bill 186 to ban social media use for minors under 18 statewide in 2025.
- The bill follows advocacy by children’s charities and research showing social media platforms often fail to protect girls from abuse, prompting demands for stronger safeguards.
- HB 186 would require platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat to verify user ages, delete existing minor accounts upon parental request within 10 days, and face legal penalties if noncompliant.
- A YouGov poll of 3,593 UK adults found 86% believe tech companies insufficiently protect girls under 18, while Patterson cites rising teen self-harm linked to social media as justification for the bill.
- If enacted during the final week of the legislative session, HB 186 may face legal challenges over free speech concerns, but supporters claim it will protect minors from harmful social media effects.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Girls need more protection from online predators, warns NSPCC
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Protection vs. Freedom: Children's Social Media Use - Today's Close-Up | NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Countries worldwide grapple with social media's impact on children, debating and introducing laws to ban or limit access by minors. Families, experts and governments confront serious issues of addiction, mental health and online safety as Japan faces up to the need to take action. Guests: Tsuruno Takeshi (TV personality) Uenuma Shino (Lawyer) Suzuki Tomoko (IT journalist)
Doctors and Scientists Call for Ban on Smartphones Under 14: 'Growing Health and Well-Being Crisis'
Hundreds of doctors, scientists and other professionals are calling for new age standards for smartphones and social media. They are concerned about the negative impact of “excessive and age-inappropriate” use on children’s health and development. The doctors and other experts call it “time to rethink society’s thinking.”
Doctors Advise Politicians: No More Smartphones for Children Under the Age of 14
More than 1,400 doctors, scientists and experts are calling on politicians to introduce age regulations for the use of smartphones and social media. According to the signatories of an urgent letter, children should not be given their own smartphone until they are fourteen and should be allowed to use social media from the age of sixteen. The doctors are concerned about children who are given a smartphone by their parents at an increasingly young…
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