Americans Back Stricter Social Media Rules For Children, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

A bipartisan majority of Americans support stronger government rules for how social media companies operate, including age-verification requirements aimed at keeping younger children off social media, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The poll was conducted over the six days ending August 3. It comes as companies including Meta Platforms and Google’s YouTube face growing legal pressure over how they treat young users. A trial is expected to begin on Wednesday over allegations from state prosecutors that Meta designed its products to addict young users.

Meta denies the allegations. The company says it could face up to $1.4 trillion in penalties if the states prevail. Separately, a New Mexico state court on Thursday ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and change how its platforms operate for young users. The court found that the company was responsible for harming children’s wellbeing.

Majority Supports Firmer Social Media Oversight

The poll found that 61% of respondents believe social media companies need firmer government oversight. That included 71% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans.

Support was lower among independents, with many respondents in that group saying they were unsure of their position.

The survey also found broad support for age-verification requirements. Some 66% of respondents backed laws requiring social media companies to use age-verification tools to prevent children under 16 from accessing their platforms.

Republicans showed the strongest support for the proposal, with 74% backing it. Among Democrats, 69% supported such requirements.

More than a dozen U.S. states have passed laws regulating minors’ access to social media. Lawmakers in those states say the measures are necessary to improve children’s safety online.

However, NetChoice, a trade group backed by major social media companies including Meta, TikTok and Snap, has sued to block laws requiring apps to verify users’ ages. The group argues that such requirements violate free speech protections.

Americans Call For Government Action

James Bosserdet, a 60-year-old mechanical engineer from Tennessee who voted for Republican President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, said he generally favours a smaller government role in Americans’ lives.

However, he views restrictions on social media use by children as an exception.

“Somebody’s got to do it,” Bosserdet said, referring to restrictions on social media for children. He questioned whether such action should be the government’s responsibility but said it may need to be.

The U.S. Congress has so far not passed legislation specifically aimed at protecting children on social media.

Meanwhile, 85% of Americans believe social media can be addictive for children, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll. A similar proportion said social media use can harm children’s mental health.

Christopher Chen, 34, of Washington, D.C., said social media companies have an outsized influence on teenagers. He also argued that technology firms exercise too much control over the content users see on their platforms.

“I don’t know what the regulation looks like, but something needs to be done by the government to protect the people,” said Chen, who voted for Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the 2024 election.

Paula Dick, 73, said social media companies could do more to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content. She also supported greater government oversight.

Dick, who lives in Kansas and voted for Trump in 2024, said she does not allow her grandchildren to use YouTube when she looks after them. However, she said they have found ways to access the platform despite restrictions.

“They have workarounds to get around blocks that their parents have put on their phones,” she said.

Americans Still Enjoy Social Media

Despite concerns about children and regulation, Americans continue to view social media positively in several respects.

The poll found that 70% of respondents consider the time they spend on social media to be fun. By comparison, 35% said social media use stresses them out.

Americans were more divided over whether they spend too much time on the platforms. Some 52% said they spend too much time on social media each day, while 43% said they do not.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online among 4,505 U.S. adults. It has a margin of error of two percentage points in either direction.

With inputs from Reuters