The Evidence
The World Is Asking for What We Already Built
Every article below is from a major, credible news source. They all point to the same conclusion: social media needs content ratings, user controls, and time limits. CleoSocial ships all three.
Kids Online Safety Act social media safety bill advances in Senate
KOSA clears the Senate Commerce Committee with 76 cosponsors, aiming to mandate parental controls and require platforms to study social media's impact on kids' wellbeing.
Policy Update: July 2026
Roundup of federal movement: the House passed a child online safety package in June, and companion legislation won backing from a key Senate committee.
Social Media and Children: 2026 Legislation
Updated tracker shows at least 20 states have now enacted laws addressing minors' social media access, addictive feeds, or age-appropriate design.
Sens. Katie Britt and John Fetterman warn against inaction on social media guardrails for young people
Bipartisan senators push Stop the Scroll Act and Kids Off Social Media Act, calling for warning labels and age controls — features CleoSocial already ships.
'Big Tech or families?' Parents head to Washington to reignite fight for online safety laws
60 parents traveled to Capitol Hill, placing 150 roses representing children harmed by online platforms, and met with lawmakers to advocate for federal legislation.
Kids Off Social Media Act (S.278)
Bipartisan bill bans social media for children under 13 and prohibits algorithmic content recommendation for users under 17.
Kids Off Social Media Act Sets Social Media Age Minimum to 13
Senate Commerce Committee advances bipartisan legislation setting age minimums and banning addictive algorithmic feeds for teens.
Fetterman-Britt bill to help protect mental health of minors passes committee
The Stop the Scroll Act — requiring mental health warning labels on social media platforms — passes Senate committee.
Gottheimer announces bipartisan Parents Decide Act to protect kids online
Bipartisan legislation giving parents greater control over what children can access on their devices.
Surgeon general calls for social media warning labels amid teen mental health crisis
The U.S. Surgeon General calls for cigarette-style warning labels on social media, citing that 95% of children ages 10-17 use platforms and 3+ hours daily doubles the risk of mental health problems.
Surgeon General's Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
Official U.S. government advisory stating social media presents "a profound risk of harm" to children and adolescents.
Social media dangers: The public health case for warning labels
Professional public health analysis supporting the Surgeon General's call for warning labels on social media platforms.
Meta, states agree to $17 billion settlement in child safety trial
Meta settles a 29-state lawsuit over addictive design and COPPA violations for roughly $17 billion, funding youth online safety initiatives. A portion is contingent on YouTube, TikTok, and Snap adopting matching safety limits.
Meta settles landmark state child harm claims for $18 billion and promises changes to its platforms
The settlement cuts short a landmark federal trial in Oakland; California AG Rob Bonta calls it 'real change, real transparency, and real enforceable protections for children on Facebook and Instagram.'
A look at major lawsuits against Meta and other social media companies over harms to kids
Wire roundup of the full litigation landscape, including hundreds of still-pending individual and school-district suits despite the multistate settlement.
TikTok settles addiction lawsuit before trial against Meta, YouTube
TikTok settles a Kentucky school district's youth-addiction claims separately, leaving Meta and YouTube to face trial alone.
Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial
Landmark verdict finds Meta and Google negligent. Internal Meta document revealed: "If we wanna win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens." 10,000+ individual cases still pending.
Jury finds Meta and YouTube negligent in landmark lawsuit on social media safety
Jury finds platforms negligent in separate coverage of the landmark social media addiction trial.
Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial
Los Angeles jury finds Meta and YouTube negligent, adding to the growing wave of legal accountability for social media harms.
Jury finds Meta, YouTube liable for social media addiction — what we know
Global coverage of the landmark ruling confirming platform liability for social media addiction.
Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child exploitation case
Jury orders Meta to pay $375 million after finding the company engaged in "unconscionable" trade practices exploiting children's vulnerabilities.
New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety, violating state law
New Mexico jury confirms Meta violated state law in harming children's mental health and safety.
Jury orders Meta to pay $375 million in New Mexico lawsuit over child sexual exploitation
NBC coverage of the $375 million verdict against Meta in the New Mexico child exploitation case.
Meta ordered to pay $375M after jury finds platform enabled child predators in landmark case
Fox Business coverage of the landmark $375 million verdict against Meta in New Mexico.
US jury orders Meta to pay $375M for endangering children
Global coverage of the $375 million verdict, highlighting Meta's systematic endangerment of children.
Age Verification on Social Media: The Global Regulatory Landscape in 2026
Over 15 nations have now enacted or introduced binding age-verification laws, with the UK, France, Denmark, and Spain moving from proposals to formal legislation this year.
Countries Banning Social Media for Children: 2026 Global Tracker
Updated global tracker of enacted and pending under-16 social media restrictions across Europe, Asia, and beyond.
Social media ban for children under 16 starts in Australia
Australia becomes the world's first country to ban social media for children under 16, with fines up to $49.5M AUD. 70% of voters endorsed the ban.
Australia social media ban: What happens when you kick millions of teens off the platforms?
Deep dive into Australia's landmark social media ban and its potential impact on millions of young users.
These are the countries moving to ban social media for children
Comprehensive tracker of 10+ countries banning or restricting social media for minors: Australia, Indonesia, France, Denmark, Germany, UK, Austria, Portugal, Spain, and Greece.
More countries weigh teen social media ban, experts warn it's 'lazy'
As more countries consider bans, experts argue there's a better alternative: building platforms responsibly from the start.
Countries are barring teens from social media — could the U.S. be next? One expert thinks it's 'inevitable'
Expert says a U.S. ban on social media for teens is "inevitable," following Australia's lead and growing global momentum.
Which European countries want to ban social media for minors?
European nations including France, Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Spain are moving to restrict or ban social media for minors.
Social media giants urged to protect children, UK rejects under-16 ban
UK rejects an outright ban but urges social media companies to do more to protect children on their platforms.
UK government to trial social media ban for hundreds of teens
UK launches a pilot program trialing social media bans for hundreds of teenagers as part of its online safety push.
Strengthening Teen Accounts with New Safety Updates on Instagram and Facebook
Ahead of its settlement, Meta announces a two-hour daily time limit, overnight and school-hours blocks, notification pauses, and expanded parental controls for teen accounts.
Instagram says it's making the app more 'PG-13' for teens
Instagram CEO announces on the TODAY Show that the platform is adopting PG-13-style content guidelines for teen users.
Instagram announces new PG-13 content standards for teen users
Good Morning America coverage of Instagram's adoption of movie-style content standards for teens.
Instagram announces new teen account feature (TODAY exclusive)
Exclusive interview where Instagram unveils its teen account features inspired by movie content ratings.
Instagram rolls out PG-13 content guidelines for teenage users
CNBC coverage of Instagram's rollout of PG-13-inspired content guidelines for teen accounts.
Instagram will now be PG-13 for teens with Meta's latest update
CNN reports on Meta's latest update making Instagram "PG-13" for teen users.
Instagram Is Introducing New Restrictions for Teen Users
TIME covers Instagram's new restrictions for teen users and the challenges of implementation.
Instagram teen accounts are still rife with safety issues
Despite Teen Account protections, 60% of teens aged 13-15 still encountered unsafe content on Instagram.
Instagram PG-13 rating faces legal fight from movie industry
The movie industry challenges Instagram's use of the "PG-13" rating, arguing it misrepresents the established standard.
Meta's Instagram agrees to add disclaimer after movie studios threw legal flag on PG-13 use
Meta settles with the Motion Picture Association, agreeing to add a disclaimer after co-opting the PG-13 rating without authorization.
Instagram expands its movie-inspired content restriction for teens internationally
Instagram expands its movie-inspired teen content restrictions globally.
Instagram expands teen accounts with 13+ content ratings
Meta's official announcement expanding teen account content ratings internationally.
Under growing pressure, the biggest social networks agree to be rated on teen safety
Meta, TikTok, and Snap agree to independent safety assessments. Companies rated highly receive a "blue shield badge"; those rated poorly are flagged.
What parents say about their teen's uses of social media
Roughly four-in-ten parents say social media hurt their teen's sleep and productivity; a 16-point gap emerges between how much teens and parents think teens use TikTok.
Teens, Social Media, and Mental Health
44% of parents say social media is the #1 negative influence on teen mental health. 48% of teens agree it negatively impacts their age group — up from 32% in 2022.
Teens' experiences on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat
New Pew data on how teens experience the three dominant social platforms and the content they encounter.
Social media is harming adolescents at a scale large enough to cause changes at the population level
The UN-backed World Happiness Report presents seven lines of evidence showing social media is not reasonably safe for children at the population level.
World Happiness Report highlights social media's negative impact
ABC News coverage of the World Happiness Report's findings on social media's negative impact on adolescent wellbeing.
World Happiness Report 2026 shows complex global picture on social media and happiness
Oxford's analysis of the 2026 World Happiness Report and its findings on social media's relationship to global wellbeing.
California set to ban 'addictive' social media features to protect teens
California moves to ban addictive social media features for anyone under 16, forcing platforms to redesign their products; Gov. Newsom has backed the restrictions.
Governor Hochul and Attorney General James Announce Final SAFE for Kids Act Rules to Protect Children Online
New York finalizes rules requiring platforms to restrict algorithmic feeds and nighttime notifications for under-18s absent parental consent, effective January 25, 2027.
Governor Hochul signs legislation to require warning labels on social media platforms
New York requires social media platforms to display mental health warning labels for users under 18 — labels cannot be bypassed.
Virginia social media restrictions take effect for teens
Virginia law takes effect requiring age verification for users 16+ and limiting under-16s to one hour of social media per day.
Social Media and Children: 2025 Legislation Summary
300+ bills pending across 45+ U.S. states. 19 states have already enacted youth social media safety laws.
FTC finds nearly 20% of America's children are online 4+ hours daily
FTC data reveals nearly one in five American children spend 4+ hours per day on social media, fueling calls for regulation.
Gen Z leads drive away from social media
A growing number of Gen Zers are quitting social media for their digital wellbeing, citing political polarization and a desire to reclaim privacy.
A 'quiet revolution': Why young people are swapping social media for lunch dates, vinyl records and brick phones
Nearly a quarter of all consumers deleted a social media app in the past year, rising to nearly a third for Gen Z. A cultural shift away from algorithmic feeds is underway.
Jonathan Haidt on digital technology, social media, and childhood
NYU professor's four norms — no smartphone before 14, no social media before 16, phone-free schools, more real-world independence — have become "something close to a global consensus."
Inside Meta, Instagram went all-in to win back teens
Internal look at how Meta is scrambling to win back teens after years of safety criticism and declining engagement.
Don't know a soul at your college yet? These companies want to help
Incoming college students are building entire social lives on social media before arriving on campus — making platform safety more critical than ever.
They're all asking for the same thing.
Content ratings. User controls. Time limits. Transparency.
CleoSocial already ships all of it.
