Overview
- The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted over six days ending Aug. 3, found 61% of U.S. adults favor stronger government oversight of social media and 66% support laws requiring age-verification to keep children under 16 off apps.
- An overwhelming 85% of respondents said social media can be addictive for children and harmful to youth mental health, even though 70% said they find the platforms fun.
- A New Mexico state court has ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and to change how its platforms work for young users after finding the company liable for harming children’s wellbeing.
- State prosecutors are preparing a multi-state trial that accuses Meta of designing features to addict young users, a claim Meta denies and says could expose it to as much as $1.4 trillion in penalties if the states prevail.
- Tech trade groups are suing to block state age-verification laws on free-speech grounds, Congress has not passed federal rules, and the coming trials could determine whether states or courts set the main limits on minors’ access to social apps.