Mexico to require digital platforms to shield minors from harmful content
XLK•President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will sign a decree requiring digital platforms to shield children and teenagers from violent, sexual and other harmful content. Platforms will have one month to comply, and the government may back a bill to penalize companies that do not follow the decree.
1. Platforms face new rules
The decree will apply to social media and streaming sites, and officials said they had met with representatives of Meta, Microsoft, Apple, TikTok, Google, X and Huawei. Sheinbaum said the government would back a bill to penalize platforms that fail to comply.
2. Meta responds
Meta said it was aware of the decree and would analyze it in detail. The company said it has tools to help parents guide children's digital experiences, including safeguards that limit who can contact children and monitoring of viewed content.
3. Broader online safeguards
The decree follows an attack at a high school in Coahuila in early October that left one person dead and three wounded. Mexico's move follows efforts in Europe, Australia, the United States and Brazil to strengthen protections for minors online, raising questions about privacy and freedom of expression.
