Scroll Control – Regulating Social Media for Kids

About this episode

The episode discusses the regulation of social media for children and the legal implications surrounding it.

Growing evidence links heavy social‑media use to rising anxiety, bullying, and sextortion among kids, and state lawmakers are racing to respond. In this interview, Harvard Law School’s Leah Plunkett—reporter for the Uniform Law Commission’s child‑influencer act—and University of Virginia family‑law scholar Naomi Cahn examine how new statutes seek to verify age, require parental consent, and redesign feeds to curb addictive features. Plunkett and Cahn compare Florida’s and Utah’s sweeping under‑14 account bans with New York’s pending “SAFE for Kids Act,” explore design mandates such as late‑night notification curfews, and explain why long‑standing COPPA rules leave teens largely unprotected. They unpack First Amendment and privacy challenges already moving through the courts, highlight emerging “digital Coogan” laws that safeguard child‑creator earnings, and note international moves—from Australia’s proposed under‑16 ban to the U.K.’s Age‑Appropriate Design Code. How to Earn CLE Credit MCLE certificates are eligible only for TalksOnLaw Premium or Podcast members. To earn credit, listen to the full program, note the verification code announced during the recording, then log in to…

People in this episode

Guests: Leah Plunkett, Naomi Cahn

Topics covered

• social media regulation
• child safety
• mental health
• legal statutes
• parental consent
• First Amendment
• privacy challenges

Keywords

• social media
• kids
• anxiety
• bullying
• sextortion
• age verification
• parental consent
• COPPA
• digital Coogan laws
• SAFE for Kids Act

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Law School, University of Virginia, Uniform Law Commission, Florida, Utah, New York, COPPA, Australia, U.K.

Books & works: SAFE for Kids Act, Age‑Appropriate Design Code

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