Bill Ready calls for global ban on social media under
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has urged governments worldwide to prohibit all forms of user-generated content and messaging apps like Instagram or TikTok from anyone younger than sixteen years old in a new op-ed published today (March 20). He argues that social media companies failed with "insufficient forethought" regarding the consequences, comparing these platforms' impact on children's development more severely than tobacco.
Key Points
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1Pinterest's Chief Executive Officer, Bill Ready, has publicly called for governments to ban social media platforms from users under the age of sixteen.
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2Ready argues that tech companies failed in their 'insufficient forethought' regarding how children are exposed online and need similar protections as tobacco or alcohol industries do.
Developments
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has called on world leaders to ban social media for youth under 16 in an essay posted during the deliberation of a Los Angeles trial regarding apps' impact on mental health. His stance contrasts with major tech companies like Google and Meta, which face regulatory pressure despite Pinterest's own requirement that U.S. users be at least 13 years old to create accounts.