{"id":9502,"date":"2025-02-24T14:02:13","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T14:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/?p=9502"},"modified":"2025-02-24T14:02:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T14:02:13","slug":"internet-and-social-media-restrictions-time-to-regulate-the-most-consumed-service-out-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/blogs\/internet-and-social-media-restrictions-time-to-regulate-the-most-consumed-service-out-there\/","title":{"rendered":"Internet and Social Media Restrictions: Time to Regulate the Most Consumed Service Out There?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For many people, social media offers an escape from reality\u2014a gateway into a world increasingly curated by algorithms that deliver what we \u201cthink\u201d we want, whether or not we truly need it. Social media apps often become the first refuge after a long day, an exhausting workout, or any stressful moment. And no one feels stress more intensely than teenagers. Emotions run high, and the dramatic physical changes during adolescence can make pre-teen and post-teen versions of the same person seem entirely different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add to that the pressures of school, the drive to secure a college spot, obtain scholarships, and discover one\u2019s passions. This is why Oxford University Press\u2019 2024 word of the year, \u201cbrain rot,\u201d has struck a chord.<\/a> Even though \u201cbrain rot\u201d was once associated with short, animated, low-quality, mindless videos, today\u2019s trend is all about brief clips that offer instant gratification\u2014be it Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, or the infamous TikTok videos.<\/a> This shift, as educators note, is gradually contributing to shorter attention spans among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, what does all this have to do with the law? And why should we care if social media is increasingly dominating the lives of our youth? That\u2019s because several states are now taking steps to address these issues through new laws and acts. In recent weeks, various states have introduced initiatives aimed at curbing some of the more concerning aspects of social media. While internet regulation is common in countries like Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, such measures are still relatively rare in the US.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

the proposed SAFE for All Act prioritizes user autonomy over time spent on the app, sending a clear message to some of the world\u2019s most profitable companies that New Yorkers refuse to compromise their mental health for corporate gains<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Take New York, for example, which is striving to become the first state to require social media platforms to allow users to opt out of algorithmically curated feeds. Such a measure would enable users to disable recommendation notifications and autoplay media features during the late-night hours\u2014after all, shouldn\u2019t we be asleep between midnight and 6 a.m.?<\/a> As part of this initiative, the proposed SAFE for All Act<\/a> prioritizes user autonomy over time spent on the app, sending a clear message to some of the world\u2019s most profitable companies that New Yorkers refuse to compromise their mental health for corporate gains. The state senator behind the proposal doesn\u2019t stop there; he also plans to introduce legislation requiring social media companies to display labels warning users about the potential mental and physical health effects of addictive platforms\u2014drawing a parallel with the mandatory warnings on tobacco products or alcohol consumption during pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this approach has faced fierce opposition from social media giants. Platforms like Meta and Google, represented by NetChoice<\/a>\u2014a tech industry trade association that backs some of Silicon Valley\u2019s largest players\u2014are determined to protect their interests. A similar battle unfolded over California\u2019s Senate Bill 976, also known as the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, which sought to stop platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to minors without parental consent.<\/a> Although the law, passed in September, was slated to take effect on February 1, a Ninth Circuit injunction halted its implementation. The California Attorney General\u2019s office made it clear that \u201cSB 976 is about protecting children and giving families a choice over the relationship they want to create with social media, not limiting speech,\u201d as stated by a spokesperson to Courthouse News.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Maryland hasn\u2019t been immune to NetChoice\u2019s legal challenges; the state filed a lawsuit against its online children\u2019s privacy legislation\u2014an adaptation of a revised California model. The Maryland AADC aims to establish stronger protections for youth aged 17 and under by extending regulatory obligations to businesses offering online services, products, or features likely to be accessed by children.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NetChoice has its goals\u2014and rightly so, given that it represents some of the largest tech companies in the world. Yet, as in every industry, consumers must be safeguarded. First Amendment rights have never been more at stake, and whether or not social media becomes more regulated will depend on the creativity and resolve behind these bills and acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kareem Subei<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kareem is a soccer and tennis enthusiast. Of Arab descent and raised in Saudi Arabia, his passion lies in laws and events that resonate across borders. He completed his undergraduate studies at OSU, the national champs!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many people, social media offers an escape from reality\u2014a gateway into a world increasingly curated by algorithms that deliver what we \u201cthink\u201d we want, whether or not we truly need it. Social media apps often become the first refuge after a long day, an exhausting workout, or any stressful moment. And no one feels …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[51],"tags":[205,471,631,193],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9502"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9502"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9504,"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9502\/revisions\/9504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.law.unc.edu\/ncjolt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}