According to a recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos, over 60% of American citizens support the government strengthening regulation on social media companies, including requiring platforms to use age verification tools to prevent minors from early exposure to social media.
The survey was conducted from July 29 to August 3, interviewing a total of 4,505 American adults (with a margin of error of plus or minus 2%). The results show that there is a bipartisan consensus in American society on the issue of whether to enhance regulation of social media companies.
Approximately 61% of respondents believe that social media companies need stricter regulation, with 71% being Democratic supporters and 62% Republican supporters. Support among independent voters is lower, as many are still undecided on their stance.
Moreover, a significant 66% of the public supports government legislation to mandate social media companies to use age verification tools to prevent children under 16 from using social media platforms, with 74% of Republican supporters and 69% of Democratic supporters expressing approval.
James Bosserdet, a 60-year-old Republican supporter and mechanical engineer from Tennessee, said that while he generally prefers less government intervention in people’s lives, restricting social media is an exception.
“There has to be someone to do this,” he said regarding protecting children. “Is it the government’s job? I don’t want it to be, but maybe it should be regulated by the government.”
The survey further indicates that 85% of Americans believe that social media can be addictive for children, with a similar proportion expressing concerns that social media could harm children’s physical and mental well-being.
Living in Washington D.C., a 34-year-old Democratic supporter named Christopher Chen told Reuters that tech companies have excessive influence over teenagers because they have significant control over what content users can see.
“I don’t know specifically what regulation should look like, but the government has to take action to protect people,” he said.
Paula Dick, a 73-year-old Republican supporter from Kansas, shared similar sentiments. She mentioned that when she looks after her grandchildren, she doesn’t allow them to use YouTube, but they find ways to bypass parental controls set on phones. “They manage to get around the blocking, they’re very smart in that aspect,” she said, urging government intervention for regulation.
The survey also reveals that despite the concerns, a majority of Americans still enjoy their time spent on social media platforms, with 70% finding it enjoyable and only 35% feeling pressured.
However, there is a divergence in views on whether there is “excessive use.” While 52% admit to spending too much time on social media daily, 43% consider their usage to be normal.
The release of this survey comes at a time when companies like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube under Google are facing increasing legal pressure across the United States.
State attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey recently jointly sued Meta, alleging deliberate addiction of children to Instagram and Facebook through algorithms. This highly anticipated trial is set to begin in Oakland on Wednesday, August 12.
Meta has denied the allegations and warned that a loss could result in fines as high as $1.4 trillion – nearly equivalent to Meta’s market value exceeding $1.5 trillion last Friday.
The Oakland trial is related to thousands of internal research documents leaked by former Meta employee Frances Haugen at the end of 2021 known as the Facebook Files. These documents reveal that Meta was aware of potential harm Instagram could cause to young girls but downplayed the negative impact, leading to investigations in multiple states.
In fact, a court in New Mexico ruled on August 6 that Meta must alter product designs and pay over $560 million in damages to prevent harm to teenagers. The jury in the state also previously ordered Meta to pay $375 million in 2024 for failing to protect minors from online predators.
In May of this year, Snap, TikTok, YouTube, and Meta settled with a Kentucky school district for $27 million to avoid a first trial of about 1,200 similar lawsuits.
Not only in the United States, but countries including Malaysia, Australia, the UK, and various countries in the European Union have also introduced restrictions on underage social media use or age verification requirements in recent years, demonstrating a global focus on protecting children from social media addiction.