In response to growing concerns about minors' online safety, Meta has proposed legislation mandating parental approval for app downloads by users under 16. The social media giant urges a shift in responsibility from platforms like Facebook and Snapchat to app stores, making them accountable for implementing robust parental controls.

Key Highlights:

• Meta emphasizes the need for uniform standards across all apps used by teenagers, acknowledging the challenge parents face in keeping up with their diverse online activities.
• Antigone Davis, Meta's Global Head of Safety, highlights the existing inconsistency in state laws in the U.S., creating a patchwork of regulations that leaves teens inconsistently protected.
• Davis advocates for a streamlined approach by verifying a teen's age on the app store, eliminating the need for sharing sensitive information directly with individual apps.

In a recent blog post, Antigone Davis elaborated on the proposed legislation. She argued for a simple solution to regulate children's use of social media, stating that while legislation is essential for holding all apps to the same standard, the fluid nature of teens moving between various platforms poses a challenge for parents.

Davis emphasized the potential privacy risks associated with the current system, where teens and parents must provide sensitive identification information repeatedly across different apps with varying security and privacy practices. Meta's proposed solution involves verifying a teen's age on the app store, streamlining the verification process and minimizing the need for sharing sensitive information with individual apps.

This legislative move follows recent accusations against Meta by several U.S. states, alleging the company's contribution to a mental health crisis. The states claim that Meta knowingly induced young users into addictive and compulsive social media use. Additionally, the European Commission has set a December 1 deadline for Meta and Snap to provide more information on their measures to protect children from illegal and harmful content, signaling a global focus on enhancing online safety for minors.