Social media companies are facing global legal challenges and legislative efforts aimed at curbing addictive design features, particularly those affecting children and teenagers.
Key facts
- •Meta generated $196.2 billion in advertising revenue last year.
- •A 2021 internal leak from Meta identified links between Instagram use and mental health concerns among teenage girls.
- •Sensor Tower data indicates US teens spent approximately 90 minutes per day on TikTok in 2025.
- •Countries including Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Malaysia have implemented social media bans for children.
- •Research by Cornelia Sindermann in 2024 found that two-thirds of adolescents would be willing to pay for a public-service version of social media with stronger guardrails.
Social media platforms like Meta, YouTube, and TikTok are facing intense scrutiny over engagement-driven business models that critics allege cause psychological harm. Governments globally are implementing bans for users under 16, while US states have launched lawsuits against Meta for designing platforms to addict young users. These regulatory efforts come as research continues to link social media use among teenagers to increased anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction.
By the numbers
Legal Challenges and Settlements
In a recent legal development, 29 US states sued Meta, alleging the company intentionally designed its platforms to addict young users. Meta subsequently agreed to a settlement of up to $18 billion with 47 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories, which includes a $1 billion settlement with Texas. As part of the agreement, the company committed to implementing usage limits and blocking teen access to its apps at night.
Legislative Efforts and Safety Concerns
In the United States, bipartisan support is growing for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which aims to mandate stronger default safety settings for minors and provide parents with more control over accounts. Experts, including Camille Carlton of the Center for Humane Technology, are advocating for social media products to be held to the same consumer-protection and product-liability standards as cars or medications. Meanwhile, researchers are also raising concerns that the same engagement-driven practices are being integrated into emerging artificial intelligence technologies.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Deutsche Welle Business.
