like the state they purchased will do anything against them with no pressure from the general populace.
this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2026
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Why does everyone talk about children as if adults aren't susceptible to the same mechanisms?
You’re right that as an adult I still really want some ice cream every time I see it. But I have the life experience and mental development that enables me to control myself because I understand the negative consequences that can happen over time. Children have not developed these skills yet.
Laws have to be applied unilaterally. If you start applying these kinds of restrictions to all adults you end up like the UK and Republican states where you have to pass a job-interview-style screening to open pornhub.com.
Those skills are too far taken for granted. It’s the very reason you see increased crime and addiction in high poverty areas. Families who had good access to healthcare, education, work opportunities, … those families were privileged enough to learn the value in self control far more naturally. Families that struggled to put food on the table, parents in and out of jail, constant exposure to drug use, … those families experience a much different reality and the kids are statistically more likely to reproduce that experience in their own adult life.
I have the life experience and mental development that enables me to control myself
That's good for you but most adults clearly don't have that either. And as you know we all reap the benefits of others' poor choices. So fuck them? And fuck us all as a society? Fuck anyone over the age of 17?
If you start applying these kinds of restrictions to all adults you end up like the UK and Republican states where you have to pass a job-interview-style screening to open pornhub.com.
I am implying they should be applied unilaterally, not only to adults, and not only to children.
So you are actually, truly, pro-interview-for-porn because some adults have no self control? I think you will find that stance to be wildly unpopular.
That's very clearly not what I said or insinuated in any way.
Sorry, I’m not trying to put words in your mouth. You are saying that all online safety regulations should apply unilaterally to all ages right? Currently porn is banned for anyone under 18, and you want to extend that to everyone, right? Or do you mean something else when you say “apply unilaterally”?
We weren't talking about porn, we were talking about social media...
Strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.
lawyers are funny
This just in: defense lawyer is defending their client
I’m afraid they‘ll get a slap on the wrist and be forced to introduce face ID or something equally harmful for users after politicians get involved. I don‘t trust these things anymore when „it‘s about the children!“
I’m with ya. Especially with the blatant kiss assery from these two companies to the government, this headlines reads to me as “Google and Meta have agreed to give Trump even more money so that they can add even more surveillance to their products”
In don't trust big corporations at all. Greedy mammoths with deep pockets buying politicians.
Partially to blame are the parents as well who shove tech in front of the kids to shut them up.
Its a fked up timeline.
Get their kids to shut up, because the greedy coperations now require both parents to work sometimes multiple jobs whilst the wealth pools towards the sociopathic owners.
I was in a store and saw a toddler walking around with a $2000 phone. The mom took the phone from her just for a second. The kid screamed so loud. The kid demanded the phone back immediately. She folded and gave it back. All they were doing was watching a looping video of fish...
I love how I start to see frequently used the term of "addiction to socials" at a similar morale level of that of drugs
Gee, I wonder if the corporations will win these cases?
"addiction in children’s brains"
I don't think these corporations deliberately aimed their content at any age group. Kids are not ready for alcohol or cars or pron. Did the corporations care? Probably not. Would they have at one time, here in the US? Yes, back when legislators were answerable to their constituents. At one time the FCC worried about the lyrics in songs on the radio. The population was more uptight about it. Then.
OTOH: I recall times when parents oversaw what their children consumed. They didn't need to buy them smartphones or laptops, and they could have enforced rulse on their use. Parenting isn't for everyone.
I don’t think these corporations deliberately aimed their content at any age group.
Instagram intentionally targeted ads at teenagers specifically when they were identified as feeling low self worth or depressed. https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/09/meta-whistleblower-sarah-wynn-williams-says-company-targeted-ads-at-teens-based-on-their-emotional-state/
Instagram used this data to more effectively keep teens hooked on the app. For example, they'd show a girl who just deleted a selfie out of embarrassment more photos of attractive women, which she would then likely scroll through, attempting to internally figure out how she could become attractive like them. Coincidentally, the perfect time for Instagram to then serve an ad for a new skin cream, weight loss program, etc.
YouTube explicitly has a service for children and I'm sure Facebook discovery would prove they explicitly market for children.
Facebook specifically was aware that teenage girls were especially harmed by their algorithms, so naturally, instead of reducing that harm, they leaned into it.
Facebook also makes it very hard as an adult to monitor a teens social media use and protect them. I was working with a teen who was joining dating groups made for adults, and the tools wouldn’t let me see the messages being sent. Wouldn’t let me report the groups.
Wouldn't doubt it if they did market to kids. TV networks did it for decades, every Saturday morning, with no FCC challenges.
PBS had services for children as well. Were Bert and Ernie or Mr. Rogers 'addictive'? I have no idea what YT for children is like, but I wouldn't have handed my kids over to them to babysit without checking them out ... frequently. Corporations exist for one purpose. Will government stop them?
I don't think these corporations deliberately aimed their content at any age group.
1 hour later:
Wouldn't doubt it if they did market to kids.
... you do realize you are a clown person, right?
Do you do this often, just a total 180 flip on your position, and then just move on as if that isn't what happened?
And you go blathering on about some new thing that should be focused on, no acknowledgement that in about 1 hr of other people giving you basic, basic relevant facts to what you are claiming, that you are completely wrong?
You're talking out your ass, you're just saying things, having not the first clue what you are talking about.
Please, stop.
You are embarassing yourself.
So YouTube Kids and Facebook Discovery are the only platforms in question then?
Discovery is a legal process where you obtain internal documents and depose employees to figure what what they're actually doing.
"I don't think these predators deliberately prey on the vulnerable" is one braindead take
Dude… kids are fucking cows to milk… in Europe we have special protections for them bundled in GDPR because they are sooooooo good targets with soooooo much potential. To give you some food for thought ; Microsoft is pushing their products as soon as schools so that kids are hooked. And they are far from being the worse….
Just roll all this back 40 years and sue TV broadcasters instead :) Nothing ever changes.
I think it could change, here in the US ... whenever it's clearly demonstrated that that's what's going on ... and if parents then pressure legislators (if they can find enough willing to fight corporate interests) to control it. In the meantime, 'saving the children' will be up to parents who take measures themselves.
Parents will get the behavior they reinforce. My mom, whenever I asked for ANYTHING I saw on TV, NEVER responded. Kids that scream when the phone's taken away should NEVER get them back.