- Content: 
Meta, Snap Support Social Media Age Verification Laws
By Movieguide® Contributor
Despite the impact age verification laws might have on their profits, social media giants Meta and Snap released a joint letter supporting lawmakers’ efforts to limit teens’ access.
The South Dakota state Senate has introduced numerous age-verifications bills this month, including one that would require the App Store to verify a user’s age before allowing them to download age-restricted apps. Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads — and Snap both shared their support for this bill in particular.
“Parents want a simple, manageable way to verify their child’s age and review the apps their teens want to download. The most sensible and effective place for age verification is at the OS/app store level,” the two companies said in a joint letter, per Fox News Digital.
“We all want young people to be supported and protected online. Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child’s age before they download apps,” the letter continued. “The best way to achieve this is for policymakers in South Dakota to require a simple, secure, industry-wide solution at the OS/app store level that puts parents in charge.”
The introduction of this bill is similar to many sweeping across the nation as lawmakers seek to abate technology’s destructive effects on developing brains by protecting children from addictive websites, along with platforms that have a proven negative effect on young people. Porn websites were the first target of these laws, and 19 states now require users to verify their age through I.D. before being allowed to access an adult website.
READ MORE: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TEXAS PORN SITE AGE VERIFICATION LAW
Last summer, Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, called for a Surgeon General’s warning to be placed on social media after decades of research about its negative effect on young brains became undeniable. Since this statement, many states that first tackled adult websites are now moving to protect young users from the detrimental effects of social media.
At the same time, the social media platforms began enacting changes on their websites to allow users to turn off addictive features, like a curated algorithm or endless scrolling, while providing parents with more control over their children’s profiles.
While Meta and Snap’s support of the North Dakota age-verification law is encouraging, it is not entirely kosher, as it places the burden onto Apple without causing them to change their practices. Furthermore, underage users who already have their platforms downloaded would not have to re-verify their age to continue to access their profiles, nor would their access be limited on desktop versions. Nonetheless, the if the bill were to pass, it would be a great start to enforcing age-restriction policies, while providing an easy means to restrict other apps in the future.
READ MORE: INSTAGRAM’S NEW UPDATE IS A VICTORY FOR TEEN SAFETY
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +1