Read the complete 2026-10-15 briefing
TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube must adopt Meta’s child safeguards
The coalition says children’s online lives extend beyond Instagram and Facebook and urges three rival platforms to adopt Meta’s safeguards.
TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube should give children the same protections Meta has agreed to, and the American Principles Project and its coalition partners are demanding it1.
The signatories say a child's online life does not end at Meta's two apps1. Because the protections cover just two apps, the letter warns, the settlement leaves the job of protecting kids incomplete2.
The letter asks the three platforms to match Meta's settlement: daily time limits, nighttime and school-hour restrictions, stronger parental controls over feeds and autoplay, hidden likes and age verification1.
The signatories allege YouTube's algorithm funnels young viewers toward graphic violence, dangerous stunts and sexual content. They say TikTok's own internal teams found the platform deeply harmful to teenage girls' mental health. They allege Snapchat is a primary channel for drug dealers and predators to reach minors1.
The letter points to a coalition of 52 state attorneys general that secured an $18 billion settlement from Meta1. Meta said the settlement would grow by $5.3 billion if YouTube and TikTok also adopt daily time limits, a night mode and age assurance measures3.
Until federal age-verification bills like the App Store Accountability Act and the SCREEN Act pass, the coalition is counting on YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat to adopt Meta's design protections1. Children must be protected online, and TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube should adopt these safeguards.