Social media platform mentioned in regulatory actions and legal settlements regarding youth safety and child protection measures.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… The 15-year-old plaintiff, known by the initials R.K.C., had in recent weeks settled the same claims against TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, all of which have been accused in a large lawsuit of creating addictive platforms harmful to children. …
Teenager drops social media addiction lawsuit against MetaJoy Online
… phones and social media over the past decade among her patients’ families. “People are tense (about smartphones),” she said. “There’s been a real change of atmosphere.” A smartphone displays a folder of social media applications, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat …
France becomes the first EU country to ban social media for childrenJoy Online
… In June, the government announced plans to prevent under-16s from accessing major platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and X, with the measures expected to come into force in spring 2027.
YouTube still recommending eating disorder videos to teens, research findsJoy Online
… Meta, Snapchat and parent Snap Inc, YouTube and parent Alphabet Inc., and TikTok and parent ByteDance are facing thousands of lawsuits in both federal and state court over claims they knowingly designed their platforms to have features that addict children and teens, fueling a …
Meta says US states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties in August youth safety trialJoy Online
… Gonzalez Rogers also oversees related multidistrict litigation by more than 2,600 individuals, school districts and local governments over whether social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google and YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok addict children. …
Meta loses bid to dismiss US states’ claims that Facebook, Instagram addict childrenJoy Online
… In 2025, Florida sued Snap SNAP.N, the owner of Snapchat, accusing it of illegally employing features that addict children and opening accounts for children aged 13 and younger. …
Florida sues TikTok, claiming it violates state child safety lawThe Chronicle
… As well as a ban on sites such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, he said he would take action against gaming and livestreaming services that allow children to talk to strangers. …
UK announces sweeping social media ban for under-16sJoy Online
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to ban under-16s from major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. …
Starmer set to ban under-16s from major social media platformsDaily Guide
… Beyond dedicated adult websites, CRI expressed concern about the growing circulation of sexually explicit material on social media and messaging platforms, including Telegram and Snapchat. …
CRI Backs ID Checks For Porn SitesJoy Online
… oncern about what he described as peer-to-peer pornography, where explicit content is shared directly between individuals through social media platforms. “For me, the worst part of this porn thing is what I call peer-to-peer pornography,” he said. “What you are seeing on Snapchat …
It’s not govt’s business to use ID cards to control people’s consumption of porn – Kofi BentilA 15-year-old plaintiff dropped his lawsuit against Meta over alleged addiction to Instagram, following earlier settlements with TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. His lawyers said he wanted to focus on recovery and therapy, while Meta denied the claims had merit.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A 15-year-old plaintiff dropped his lawsuit against Meta over alleged addiction to Instagram, following earlier settlements with TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. His lawyers said he wanted to focus on recovery and therapy, while Meta denied the claims had merit.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
French lawmakers voted to ban social media use for children under 15, with the bill set to take effect this school year after President Emmanuel Macron signs it into law. The ban makes France the first EU country to impose such a restriction, following Australia's implementation of a ban for under-16s last year.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Research by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that one in 10 videos recommended by YouTube's algorithm to a simulated 13-year-old girl featured thinspiration, extreme calorie restriction or other harmful material. This occurred a year after new rules were introduced to curb harmful online content, though the situation had improved over the past two years.
13 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta disclosed in a court filing that four US states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over allegations the company designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users and misled the public about their safety, ahead of an August trial in Oakland, California.
7 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A U.S. District Judge rejected Meta Platforms' attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by 29 state attorneys general accusing the company of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children and concealing the harms. The judge denied Meta's motion to dismiss claims based on deception and unfair practices, and granted summary judgment to the states on violations of the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
30 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Florida's attorney general filed a lawsuit claiming TikTok violated the state's law barring social media platforms from allowing children under age 14 to create accounts, alleging the platform allows underage users access and misrepresents exposure to violent or sexual content. TikTok says it is complying with the law and suspending accounts of users under 14 in Florida.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to ban social media sites such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for under-16s, with restrictions on gaming and livestreaming platforms where children can contact strangers. The government expects regulation by year-end and enforcement around spring.
15 June 2026 · The Chronicle →
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce a ban on under-16s using major social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, X, and others. The government will also restrict children from livestreaming on "safer" sites and talking to strangers on gaming apps, with additional measures such as social media curfews for older teenagers being considered.
14 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Child Rights International has endorsed a government proposal requiring age and identity verification for pornographic websites, arguing the measure is needed to protect children from harmful online sexual content that is easily accessible without meaningful restrictions.
8 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
IMANI Africa's Senior Vice President Kofi Bentil has argued that the government should not use national identification cards to regulate access to pornographic websites, contending that enforcing morality through legislation produces unintended consequences and citing historical examples like alcohol prohibition.
6 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Kofi Bentil of IMANI Africa has criticised the government's proposed mandatory identity verification system for pornographic websites, arguing that while protecting children from harmful content is important, the state should not regulate adults' online consumption through national identification systems. The Communications Minister recently disclosed that the government is considering requiring users to verify their age and identity before accessing pornographic websites in Ghana, but Bentil warned the move could lead to abuse and state intrusion into private lives.
6 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called a case in which three teenage boys were spared custodial sentences over the rape of two girls "appalling" and said it was "right" that the Attorney General was reviewing the sentences. The boys received Youth Rehabilitation Orders instead of jail time for attacks in Hampshire in November 2024 and January 2025, prompting one victim to criticize the outcome as a "slap on the wrist."
25 May 2026 · Joy Online →
A 16-year-old rape victim has told the BBC that a judge's decision not to jail two teenage boys convicted of raping her felt like a personal blow, saying the verdict made it seem the crimes were acceptable "in the eyes of the law because they were still children." The attorney general is reviewing the sentence given by Judge Nicholas Rowland, who cited the boys' young age to avoid "criminalising" them despite acknowledging the seriousness of the offences and that the boys had filmed and shared the assaults.
24 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Chef Abena Amoakoa Sintim-Aboagye (Chef Abbys), who built an audience on Snapchat as a young content creator, prepared authentic Ghanaian dishes for more than 300 Snapchat employees at the company's UK headquarters. She described the experience as one of the biggest highlights of her career.
22 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Instagram has switched off end-to-end encryption on direct messages worldwide, a reversal of Meta's previous commitment to the technology. The shift means Meta can now access message content, and while child protection groups welcome the decision, privacy advocates have condemned it.
8 May 2026 · Joy Online →
US senators Marsha Blackburn and Amy Klobuchar criticized Meta for removing advertisements by attorneys seeking clients in social media addiction lawsuits. Meta said it removed the ads to defend itself against the lawsuits and prevent trial lawyers from profiting using its platforms.
4 May 2026 · Joy Online →