Mexico explores ways to regulate social media among children
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The Mexican government will discuss with teachers by the end of August about a possible nationwide ban on the use of mobile phones in classrooms.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Mexico is considering regulations on social media use among children, with discussions involving experts and plans to consult teachers about a mobile phone ban in schools.
- President Sheinbaum emphasises a broad societal debate on regulating social media content or algorithms, aiming to avoid accusations of government censorship.
- Other countries like Australia and Brazil have implemented or proposed age restrictions and safety measures on platforms to protect children from harmful content and risks.
AI generated
MEXICO CITY - Mexico is exploring ways to regulate the use of social media by children and adolescents, as countries such as Australia and Brazil have done, with government-led discussions on the harmful effects of platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
For several weeks now, President Claudia Sheinbaum has been inviting experts to her daily press conference to discuss the issue, including Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused An Epidemic Of Mental Illness.
The government will begin discussions with elementary and high school teachers by the end of August about a possible nationwide ban on the use of mobile phones in classrooms – as is already the case in several states – as well as the best ways to regulate the use of social media by students.
“We need to discuss whether social media should be subject to any regulations regarding content, particularly for children and adolescents, and we don’t want this to come from the government,” Sheinbaum said on Aug 17. “We want all political parties and society to discuss it,” in part so her administration will not be accused of trying to censor social media.
Governments around the world are moving to impose tighter restrictions on children’s access to social media, arguing that platforms can expose young users to addictive design, harmful content, cyberbullying and risks to their mental and physical health.
“Many places around the world are regulating this; the question for all Mexicans is how we can agree on how to regulate social media content – and if not the content itself, then how the algorithms are designed,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s not as if this will become law tomorrow just because the president thinks that way.”
In Australia, since December 2025, platforms have been required to prevent users under 16 from holding accounts on platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and X. France approved a similar ban for users under 15 in 2026, but it was struck down last week by the constitutional council.
Brazil has also taken a regulatory approach to protecting children online, requiring platforms to adopt measures such as age assurance, safer default settings and parental controls.
Last week, Brazil’s national data-protection authority ordered chat app Discord to halt livestreaming after the death of teenager.
The order came after Brazilian authorities said a 13-year-old girl’s suicide had been broadcast on Discord and that the material remained available on the platform before it was removed. Discord disputes that account, saying the server involved was shut down before the suicide could be livestreamed on its platform. BLOOMBERG
