Growing evidence links heavy social‑media use to rising anxiety, bullying, and sextortion among kids, and state lawmakers are racing to respond. In this interview, Harvard Law School’s Leah Plunkett—reporter for the Uniform Law Commission’s child‑influencer act—and University of Virginia family‑law scholar Naomi Cahn examine how new statutes seek to verify age, require parental consent, and redesign feeds to curb addictive features.
Plunkett and Cahn compare Florida’s and Utah’s sweeping under‑14 account bans with New York’s pending “SAFE for Kids Act,” explore design mandates such as late‑night notification curfews, and explain why long‑standing COPPA rules leave teens largely unprotected. They unpack First Amendment and privacy challenges already moving through the courts, highlight emerging “digital Coogan” laws that safeguard child‑creator earnings, and note international moves—from Australia’s proposed under‑16 ban to the U.K.’s Age‑Appropriate Design Code.
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