Children’s Privacy in 2026: From Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban to a Shift Beyond Notice-and-Consent in the United States

Recent developments in children’s privacy and online safety regulation reflect a global shift away from notice-and-consent frameworks toward access restrictions, design mandates, categorical advertising prohibitions, and ecosystem-level age-assurance mechanisms. Using Australia’s under-16 social media ban as a case study, this article examines four converging regulatory trends emerging across the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom. These developments increasingly affect product design, advertising, and data governance decisions for companies operating consumer-facing digital services.

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Reviewing The Legal Landscape Of Social Media For Minors

Concerns about the impact of social media on children and adolescents have grown among U.S. lawmakers, parents, and public health officials. While federal oversight remains largely limited to narrow data privacy protections for minors, states have moved to fill the gap with a wave of laws governing minors’ access to and use of social media platforms. Companies should closely track these developments to anticipate new obligations and adapt their policies and procedures on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. Read the full article to learn more about emerging state laws, enforcement trends, and practical steps companies can take to prepare.

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U.S. FTC’s New Rule on Fake and AI-Generated Reviews and Social Media Bots

On August 14, 2024, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a final rule that prohibits fake and artificial intelligence-generated consumer reviews, consumer testimonials, and celebrity testimonials, along with other types of unfair or deceptive practices involving reviews and testimonials. This new rule is the latest development in the FTC’s increased rulemaking efforts and increased focus on AI, and will take effect on October 21, 2024.

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