America is banning more and more kids from social media. That's bad news for kids.

"No longer could they follow accounts that regularly share what Meta deemed "age-inappropriate content" or search for terms like gore and alcohol. To opt out of these automatically applied guardrails, they'd need their parents to grant permission through a connected account. The move was an expansion of Instagram's efforts to give parents more control over teens' accounts. As the chorus against social media and screentime at large rises, Meta has tried to do something to appease parents and keep kids scrolling."

"Australia has banned kids younger than 16 from joining major social media apps. Denmark has agreed to pass restrictions for those younger than 15, and French lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in January to advance their own ban. Florida, Virginia, and Nebraska have created a patchwork of laws that guide how children can - or in some total bans, can't - access social media."

Instagram applied a PG-13-like shroud last fall that prevented teens under 18 from following accounts or searching terms Meta deemed age-inappropriate without parental permission via a connected account. The change expanded parental control features while allowing an opt-out only with parental consent. Governments worldwide are pursuing restrictions that could force platforms to verify ages or censor content. Countries including Australia, Denmark, and France have enacted or proposed age-based bans. U.S. states have created varied laws, and federal proposals and lawsuits target online liability and alleged harms. Tech companies deny claims that their products intentionally addict or harm young people.

Read at Business Insider