The CEO of Pinterest calls for a ban on social media for children under 16.

While social media has become indispensable for millions of teenagers, its impact on mental health is the subject of increasingly intense debate.

Faced with this reality, Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest, is now calling for a radical measure: a complete and utter ban on social media access for those under 16 worldwide.

Pinterest CEO Calls for a Global Ban

In an opinion piece published in Time magazine, Bill Ready argues for the establishment of a clear standard: no access to social media for teenagers under 16 years. According to him, governments must act quickly and impose real sanctions on platforms that do not comply with this rule. The executive believes that tech companies have long underestimated the impact of their products on young users. He cites several studies that show an increase in cases of depression and anxiety among teenagers when they are heavily exposed to social media platforms, as well as a decrease in their ability to concentrate. To support his argument, Bill Ready draws a parallel with other regulated industries such as tobacco and alcohol. In these sectors, age restrictions were gradually imposed under pressure from public authorities and public opinion. According to him, the tech industry could follow a similar path if it doesn't take stricter measures itself. Pinterest already has some restrictions in place. While the proposal may seem radical, Pinterest claims to already implement several measures to limit risks for minors. On the platform, all accounts belonging to users under 16 are private by default. These accounts cannot be easily discovered, and interactions with strangers on messages, comments, or targeted ads are severely limited. With this measure, Pinterest aims to reduce teenagers' exposure to potentially problematic content or interactions. Furthermore, Bill Ready points out that these restrictions haven't prevented Pinterest from appealing to Generation Z. According to data released by the company, young people now represent more than half of the social network's audience.

The executive also supports a US bill, the App Store Accountability Act, which would transfer age verification to app stores like the App Store or Google Play, rather than leaving each platform to manage this process separately.

A global trend towards more regulation

Finally, it should be noted that the Pinterest CEO's proposal is part of an increasingly visible international movement, as several countries are already considering restricting minors' access to social networks.

For example, Australia already has a ban on those under 16, with fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars for platforms that do not comply with the law.

In Europe, the debate is also progressing, particularly in France with a law that aims to ban social networks for those under 15 years, while other countries like Spain and Germany are studying comparable systems. For now, Bill Ready's position remains isolated in the tech industry. As we saw recently with WhatsApp, most platforms prefer parental control tools or usage limits, without going so far as a complete ban for teenagers.