Countries Impose Strict Social Media Rules for Kids as US Lags

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Dual jury verdicts this week have validated longstanding concerns about the dangers of social media for young people. But the U.S. lacks federal regulation that meaningfully addresses these harms. Other countries, meanwhile, have implemented a bevy of restrictions on children's online activities, ranging from social media bans to requiring younger teens to link their accounts to a parent's.

Why it matters

The US verdicts against Meta and YouTube underscore the urgent need for federal regulation to protect kids from the harms of social media. While parents and advocates cheer the decisions, without new laws, platforms are unlikely to make meaningful changes. Many are pinning their hopes on the stalled Kids Online Safety Act, but other nations have already taken action.

The details

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children using their services. A day earlier in New Mexico, a jury determined that Meta knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms. While these verdicts validate concerns about social media's dangers for young people, the US lacks federal regulation to address these issues.

• On March 27, 2026, a jury in New Mexico determined that Meta knowingly harmed children's mental health.
• On March 28, 2026, a jury in Los Angeles found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children using their services.

What’s next

The Kids Online Safety Act, which won Senate approval in 2024, must now clear the House and be signed into law to provide federal regulation of social media platforms and protect children.