Rahm Emanuel, who is considering running for president, is pushing for the United States to follow Australia’s lead and ban children under 16 from using most social media.
Alarmed by the addictive nature of social media apps and the attendant health and safety risks for young users, Emanuel wants to increase public pressure on U.S. lawmakers to restrict access to some of the world’s most popular platforms.
It’s somewhat ironic that potential 2028 White House candidates plan to issue a call to action on Tuesday because Australian ban takes effectUnder the plan, which the Democrat first shared with POLITICO, he will post a video on his social media accounts.
“When it comes to our youth, we have to make a choice: Who is going to be the moral guiding light? I prefer adults over algorithms,” Emanuel said in an interview, accusing big tech companies of putting profits over “protecting our youth.”
It’s the latest in a series of policy positions by Emanuel, a former ambassador who worked for three Democratic presidents and once served as Chicago mayor, to pinpoint his party’s message. educate arrive public security ahead of the crucial midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Democrats are embracing social media influencers and encouraging political leaders and candidates to spend more time promoting their messages online and reaching young voters.
But Emanuel sees these as separate issues – an electoral strategy targeting adults over 18 and a public health issue affecting teenagers. He compared tackling the problem to measures he took as mayor to curb teen smoking. Raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products. He suggested lawmakers should first target the three most popular apps among U.S. teens — TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
“We cannot afford to lose another generation through inaction or political gridlock,” he said.
Emanuel appears to be taking a tougher stance than some of his rivals for the Democratic nomination on young people’s use of social media, positioning himself to oppose Big tech lobby groups strongly oppose these efforts Regulating who accesses their platforms by deeming them infringing on free speech. As a candidate, he also received donations from tech giants like Eric Schmidt and Sheryl Sandberg.
Asked about the donations, he said his current position showed he was independent from the companies.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation this fall requiring social media platforms to display health warning labels to minors and requiring apps to check children’s ages. Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have both spoken publicly about the impact of social media on children’s mental health.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed a “Children’s Rule” last year aimed at limiting the data tech companies can collect from children, but Trapped in legal battle. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a law in 2023 to Ensure children are compensated Appear in online content.
When Emanuel was asked whether his proposed social media ban would be key to his platform if he ran for president, he said: “Anything that allows us to continue to focus on raising academic standards and protecting our children on a public health basis is going to be a priority.”
Australian World’s first social media ban Designed to restrict access to major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to children under 16 years of age. The parent company could face tens of millions of dollars in fines if it doesn’t take “reasonable steps” to block youth access. Tech companies protested the measure as hasty and “Short-sighted” and debate It “won’t fulfill its promise to make kids safer online.” But they have Already started Deactivate account.
There is support for a similar ban in the U.S., with nearly 6 in 10 voters Quinnipiac University Poll A survey conducted in late 2024 said they would like to see a similar age limit, although support was lower among the 18 to 34 age group. An August POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll of registered voters in California found that 45% supported banning social media use by children under 16.
A bipartisan group of senators, including Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who political insiders believe is gearing up for another White House run in 2028, has made children’s online safety a key issue. The core of his tenure as panel chairman Responsible for monitoring social media – introduced a bill Earlier this year, it would Children under 13 are prohibited from using social media. Emanuel said there was “the right impetus” for the legislation.
other Bipartisan group of senators reintroduces bill This would require social media companies to remove features that may have a negative impact on youth mental health. The bill passed the Senate 91-3 last year but stalled in the House. The two chambers still disagree on details.
Amid congressional deadlock, A patchwork of mostly red states has passed laws Attempts to limit children’s use of social media by requiring parental consent and enforcing digital curfews. But these efforts met with resistance from all sides Industry groups Represents tech giants like Meta, Alphabet and Snapchat, and to a large extent blocked go through court.
Still, a divided panel of appeals judges last month allowed Florida’s appeal enforce the law Signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a one-time presidential candidate, it bans children under 14 from using many social media platforms and requires 14- and 15-year-olds to obtain parental approval. DeSantis may run for the White House again in 2028. praise the law As a way to protect children from online predators.
Emanuel acknowledged that a sweeping social media ban would likely face serious legal challenges. But he said it could be a “winning argument” to position the crackdown as combating “public health issues related to the technology” rather than the technology itself.
Tyler Katzenberger, Andrew Atterbury and Shia Kaapos contributed to this report.
