Miyares, other attorneys general urge parental oversight on social media accounts

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is urging TikTok and Snapchat to allow parents control over their children’s accounts to protect them from online threats. As part of a bipartisan coalition, Miyares and 43 other attorneys general wrote to the social media platforms to urge for the ability of parents to monitor their children’s usage and to also have parental apps to better protect them.

“I am proud to join a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in urging TikTok and Snapchat to put children’s safety first,” Miyares said. “Unfortunately, predators and bullies can use social media to reach impressionable children without their parents having any idea. Additionally, studies have shown the disastrous impact social media can have on the mental and physical health of our children. Parental control apps would allow parents to ensure their children are staying safe in an increasingly dangerous digital world.”

Miyares pointed to studies that have shown that the negative impact that social media has on children and teenagers is increasingly evident, affecting their physical, mental and emotional well-being. Those effects can range from lower self-esteem, body-image disapproval as well as increased exposure to cyberbullying and sexual predation, he said.

While social media platforms operate under community guidelines and content moderation, they are not always sufficient to protect children and teens from online threats, according to Miyares.