Parents and advocates urge TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat to match Meta's child safeguards

A group of parents, child-advocacy organizations and family-policy groups, led by the American Principles Project, wrote to TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat urging them to implement the same protective features Meta recently agreed to in a settlement with 52 state attorneys general. The letter calls for strict daily usage caps, bans during school hours and overnight, enhanced parental controls over algorithmic feeds and autoplay, default hidden likes and robust age-verification systems.

It warns that without uniform rules, children could simply migrate to other platforms, leaving gaps in protection. The coalition highlights growing concerns over social-media-related anxiety, body-image issues and exposure to violent or sexual material, as well as contact with drug dealers and predators. State initiatives in Utah, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama seeking app-store level age verification are noted, while federal action remains pending. The group stresses that consistent, enforceable design standards are essential to safeguard minors online.