Proposed US legislation bans children from social media platforms

U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, introduced legislation barring children under age 16 from accessing social media platforms and requiring companies to verify user ages for compliance, The Washington Post reports. The bill would also let parents sue platforms for allowing underage users to access services. Stewart compared the negative mental health impacts of social media to substance abuse, and said, “We protect our children from drinking, from smoking, from driving. They can’t drive when they’re 12. We should protect them from the impacts of social media.”