#social-media-policy

#social-media-policy

Recent years have seen alarming increases in youth self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Parents, educators, and mental health experts are naturally concerned, and many blame social media. Governments have begun taking notice as well. In Australia, for instance, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill will soon make it illegal for young people under 16 to access major social media platforms, effective December 2025.

It is important that our community work together to foster greater understanding and respect opinions that differ from our own,

I am calling on @elonmusk, @finkd, and @tiktok_us to remove the horrifying videos of Charlie Kirk's murder. He has a family, young children, and no one should be forced to relive this tragedy online, wrote Luna. These are not the only graphic videos of horrifying murders circulating at some point, social media begins to desensitize humanity. We must still value life. Please take them down.

Over the past 15 years, I briefed each of these companies about this complex issue. The first such briefing, back in December 2010, focused on my research on how Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups were using YouTube to radicalize young people in the West. At Google's invitation, I met with senior Google representatives, including its head of public relations and policy, senior policy manager, senior policy counsel and free speech attorney, at the company's Washington, D.C., office.

We've tried to draw the line here to create both continuity and clarity and protect public assets, but also respect the unique nature social media represents as a personal identity.