Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 1 hr ago
Parents and child advocates urge TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to adopt Meta safeguards
Parents and child advocates are urging TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to adopt stronger protections for minors.
They want the platforms to follow safeguards recently agreed to by Meta for Facebook and Instagram.
The proposed measures include daily time limits, restrictions during school hours and overnight, and stronger parental controls.
The group also called for hidden likes by default and age verification.
It says protections on only two apps could leave children exposed when they switch to other platforms.
The letter cites concerns including anxiety, body image issues, explicit material and contact with dangerous people.
The group is asking the three companies to adopt the safeguards voluntarily until broader federal protections are enacted.
It also points to state efforts to require age checks and parental consent at the app-store level.
Parents, child advocates and family policy groups are urging TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to adopt safeguards for minors recently agreed to by Meta.
A letter to the three platforms says protections should become an industry-wide standard and warns that children may shift to other apps if safeguards apply only to Facebook and Instagram.
The requested measures include daily time limits, restrictions during school hours and overnight, stronger parental controls, hidden likes by default and age verification.
The appeal follows Meta’s August settlement with a coalition of 52 attorneys general to pay up to $18 billion and overhaul teen experiences on Facebook and Instagram.
- Who
- Parents, child advocates, family policy groups and community leaders are calling on TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to act.
- What
- They want the platforms to adopt safeguards for minors established under Meta’s settlement.
- When
- The appeal was reported on October 13, 2026. The letter’s date is not stated.
- Where
- The letter was sent to TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat. It was obtained by FOX Business.
- Why
- The groups say protections limited to Facebook and Instagram could lead children to shift to other platforms and leave gaps in safeguards.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Meta announced a settlement with a coalition of 52 attorneys general to pay up to $18 billion and overhaul teen experiences on Facebook and Instagram.
FOX Business reported that parents, child advocates and family policy groups were urging TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to adopt Meta’s safeguards.
- Platforms addressed
- TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat
- Meta settlement coalition
- 52 attorneys general
- Settlement amount
- Up to $18 billion
- Requested measures
- Time limits, school-hour and overnight restrictions, parental controls, hidden likes by default and age verification
- Settlement platforms
- Facebook and Instagram
What people are saying
TikTok, Snapchat, and all the online platforms that deal with our children online have the duty to make the same changes that Meta did because our kids always need to be protected
I see the content that my children stumble across. I am playing serious defense here, and we need a lot more help
We need to do a better job of cleaning up the internet
Families across the country deserve consistent, enforceable safe-design standards on every platform their children use. We ask you to put the health and safety of children first
Sources
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