Since the passage of the Utah App Store Accountability Act two years ago, other states have pushed similar measures to protect children’s online experiences. But nationwide change remained out of reach. Meta’s recent $18 billion national settlement with 48 states — and a slate of new protections for children on the platform — should prompt action from other tech firms and lawmakers in Congress.
These new protections prove that Big Tech can make minors’ experiences online safer.
Teens will be limited to two hours on Meta’s apps, restricted to night mode settings from midnight to 6 a.m., unable to receive notifications during school hours, have their likes hidden by default, and face restricted access to beauty filters. Parents will have the ability to disable algorithmic feeds and autoplay.
These changes are not minor — they will fundamentally change for the better the way children interact with these platforms and the time they spend with their content.
But children spend more time on YouTube and TikTok, which are not subject to the settlement, than they do on Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. For the 92% of children using YouTube, they can still get algorithmic feeds and unlimited access to content on YouTube the second their Instagram or Facebook account kicks them off.
The rest of the Big Tech industry — YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok — has an opportunity to step up and mirror Meta’s changes. Meta recognizes this, and has promised to strengthen these protections if YouTube and TikTok join them.
These platform protections will be much more meaningful if they extend to all of the relevant apps children are using. And given the praise Meta is receiving, it should be common sense that YouTube and TikTok join their peers with these changes.
Parents across the country should feel reassured that when their children get on Instagram and Facebook, they are having improved experiences with less access to potentially harmful content. However, for parents that don’t want their children to download the app in the first place, this is not a perfect solution.
That’s why I was proud to lead the charge sponsoring Utah’s bill that addresses not only social media but every app that could negatively impact children.
Utah was the first state in the nation to pass the App Store Accountability Act into law — with strong bipartisan support. This law ensures that app stores obtain parental consent before their child can download any app on the app store.
This law, and the recent Meta settlement, are significant steps forward. But in addition to other tech firms joining the movement, more can be done on the policy front.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has introduced a federal version of the App Store Accountability Act to help take these protections nationwide.
Parents, not app store providers, should determine whether or not they want their child on a platform. And thanks to the new parental controls offered under Meta’s settlement, Utah parents now have additional tools to lock down a teenager’s Instagram or Facebook settings based on their family values.
These protections should be the new industry standard across all social media platforms, and parents shouldn’t have to wait for additional yearslong court battles for other companies to incorporate the new changes adopted by Meta.
Congress can codify this level playing field by passing Sen. Mike Lee’s federal App Store Accountability Act to let parents decide when or if they want their child to have social media or any other app that may not be suitable for them.
While state sovereignty is in Utah’s DNA, our federal system is also built on the premise that in matters of interstate commerce, there is a role for federal-level intervention. This is such an instance.
Utah continues to lead the way — through the state legislature, Attorney General’s office, and the U.S. Senate — by protecting children online every chance we get. Utah is also a pro-innovation state, showing that we can strike a healthy balance between the tremendous opportunities the tech industry offers and parental empowerment.