Meta is suggesting a new law. They want app stores, like the ones from Apple and Google, to ask parents for permission when a kid tries to download an app. The bill will hold all app developers and sellers, not just social media corporations, accountable for implementing parental controls.
Meta is under the radar for the risks it poses to teenagers/underage users on Facebook and Instagram. Antigone Davis, who takes care of safety at Meta, wrote a blog post asking for a straightforward solution that all companies can use to ensure kids are safe on social media.
Davis underlines the need for parental consent before every app download. Therefore, she completely supports the new regulation requiring app stores to obtain consent from parents if the users are minors, in other words, under 16. In this idea, when a teenager tries to get an app, the app store sends a message to their parents, like when they try to buy something. Then, parents can decide if it’s okay or not. Davis also suggested that parents could confirm their teen’s age during the phone setup. This way, we wouldn’t need to check age repeatedly for different apps, even ones for playing online casino games. Visit GBET Casino for a wide selection of casino games online.
The announcement follows Meta’s growing legal challenges in monitoring child and teen users. A whistleblower recently testified before the US Congress, asserting that Instagram, owned by Meta, was not doing enough to protect teenagers from online harm. The person sharing their story talks about their daughter getting unwanted attention on Instagram. It has made people upset and want the law to get involved. It’s part of Meta’s ongoing efforts to deal with worries about how safe young users are on their platforms, like Instagram and Facebook.
Rising Regulatory Oversight
Meta has previously asserted the implementation of “over 30 tools” aimed at creating a safe online space for kids and adolescent users. However, as a response to mounting concerns, particularly related to the teens on social media. US politicians are increasingly favoring adopting local laws to address the issue. Due to this development, Meta and other firms may face a more complicated legal landscape. In March, Utah emerged as the first US state to make it compulsory for social media sites to obtain permission from parents/guardians for any user aged below 16 years trying to download and use the app.
As a result, Meta advocates for the adoption of national law to streamline regulations. Antigone Davis, Meta’s global head of safety, emphasizes the need for partnership between industry and government in establishing effective solutions that allow parents to keep track of their children’s internet activities. She feels regulation must enable a standard across all teen applications.
Social media companies are facing increasing governmental scrutiny beyond the borders of the United States. Strict protection limitations on data in the European Union have pushed Meta to propose a monthly charge as a workaround. Meta has also just launched its latest social network, Threads.
Davis argues that giving app stores parental controls will simplify the legal environment while also aiding in conserving privacy online by minimizing the gathering of potentially delicate data by individual firms.
